Indigenous Women

Sieder R, Sierra MT. Indigenous Women’s Access to Justice in Latin America. Bergen: CMI - Chr. Michelsen Institute; Working Paper pp. 45. Publisher's VersionAbstract

http://www.cmi.no/publications/publication/?3880=indigenous-womens-acces...

This paper gives an overview of the challenges which indigenous women in Latin America face in accessing both formal state justice and indigenous legal systems, including a focus on normative frameworks, legal awareness, access to appropriate justice forums and the achievement of satisfactory remedies. In addition, it highlights promising examples of how different actors within civil society and governments are taking steps to improve indigenous women’s access to justice in different contexts. Recognizing that each of these are likely to be very context specific, it draws out the key lessons and challenges from these approaches, making recommendations on how this work can best be supported.

Canada: Violence Against Indigenous Women. Human Rights Watch; 2014. Publisher's VersionAbstract

http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/01/31/canada-violence-against-indigenous-women

The Canadian government should set up an independent national inquiry into the violence experienced by indigenous women and girls and create a system for greater accountability for police misconduct, Human Rights Watch said today. Representatives from Human Rights Watch testified on January 30, 2014, before the Special Committee on Violence Against Indigenous Women in the Canadian House of Commons. They also urged officials to hold police responsible for misconduct.

Eslick N. Violence against Women in Australia and The National Action Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children, in Initiative on VAW, Research Briefing. Carr Center for Human Rights, Harvard Kennedy School of Government ; 2014.Abstract

Violence against Women (VAW) is a pervasive, global human rights violation. This research memo discusses the current state of VAW in Australia, and the Australian Governments proposed National Action Plan (NAP) addressing VAW across Australia’s diverse community. Noting that women’s rights are not fully protected by the Commonwealth and revealing the current appalling statistics around domestic and sexual violence against Australian women, the memo then provides insight on Indigenous women and VAW, followed by a deeper look at NAP. Finally, after a brief look at the recent study tour of Australia by the Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women, Australia’s commitment to addressing VAW is discussed with reference to reporting for CEDAW and UPR. The memo then considers the Special Rapporteur’s study tour in light of the election of a new federal government. It then concludes that if the state shows genuine commitment to its people, and to its obligations under human rights treaties, the onus ultimately rests on it to work with civil society to make use of the human rights mechanisms and seek to honestly and with purpose examine their human rights status and develop and adopt sustainable positive change. 

Declaration of Indigenous Women of CSW57. United Nations - Commission on the Status of Women; 2013. Publisher's VersionAbstract

 

https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/mandated-areas1/in...

Indigenous women's participation at the 57th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, 4 to 15 March 2013

A major success at the 57th CSW was the adoption of agreed conclusions on the elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls on 15 March 2013. The result is due not only to the marvellous work of States but also to the persistence and advice of the more than 600 NGOs gathered at the United Nations, including Indigenous women from around the world. In this regard, “27. The Commission reaffirms that indigenous women often suffer multiple forms of discrimination and poverty which increase their vulnerability to all forms of violence; and stresses the need to seriously address violence against indigenous women and girls.”

Breaking the Silence on Violence against Indigenous Girls, Adolescents and Young Women. UN Women, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children (OSRSG/VAC); 2013. Publisher's VersionAbstract

http://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2013/5/breaking-t...

The study, the first of its kind, reviews existing quantitative and qualitative data on the prevalence and incidence of the types of violence which have already been documented in relation to these groups in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Three countries were selected, one per region, to illustrate the findings. For Latin America, Guatemala was selected for the study to benefit from its widely documented experience as a post-conflict country and for its on-going legislative and institutional reforms aimed at addressing issues such as femicide and sexual violence among indigenous women and girls. For Africa, Kenya was chosen, given available evidence on the prevalence of female genital mutilation/cutting among indigenous communities and promising legislative developments in this field. Finally, in the Asia-Pacific region, the Philippines was selected because of the involvement of girls and adolescents in armed conflict in the predominantly indigenous area of Mindanao and accompanying initiatives to address this situation. 

Handbook for Legislation on Violence against Women. United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women; 2012. Publisher's VersionAbstract

http://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2012/12/handbook-...

The Handbook serves as a useful tool in supporting efforts to provide justice, support, protection and remedies to victims and to hold perpetrators accountable.

The Handbook first outlines the international and regional legal and policy frameworks which mandate States to enact and implement comprehensive and effective laws to address violence against women. It then presents a model framework for legislation on violence against women, divided into fourteen chapters. Finally, the Handbook provides users with a checklist of considerations to be kept in mind when drafting legislation on violence against women.

This Handbook intends to provide all stakeholders with detailed guidance to support the adoption and effective implementation of legislation which prevents violence against women, punishes perpetrators, and ensures the rights of survivors everywhere.

Pequeño A. Vivir violencia, cruzar los límites. Prácticas y discursos en torno a la violencia contra las mujeres en comunidades indígenas del Ecuador. Academia. 2009. Publisher's VersionAbstract

http://www.academia.edu/1796405/_Vivir_violencia_cruzar_los_l%C3%ADmites._Prácticas_y_discursos_en_torno_a_la_violencia_contra_las_mujeres_en_comunidades_ind%C3%ADgenas_del_Ecuador_Andrea_Pequeño

En base a información cualitativa y cuantitativa, este texto analiza la violencia contra mujeres en una comunidad Kichwa de la provincia de Imbabura, en la sierra ecuatoriana. Para ello, relaciona las distintas formas demaltrato con el ciclo biológico-vital de las mujeres y las evidencia comoun ejercicio de poder, domesticación y control de la autonomía. En estemismo sentido, da cuenta de las dificultades en el acceso a los sistemas de justicia. Destaca, además, los discursos de las propias mujeres ante la violencia. Propone que, desde distintas posiciones, asumir, actuar y/o hacerfrente al fenómeno implica necesariamente un cruce de límites y fronte-ras reales y simbólicas. En este sentido, interpreta la apelación al discursode los Derechos Humanos como una política de reconocimiento y comouna resignificación estratégica que, actuando desde el ámbito privado, lespermite defender y contestar a los modelos impuestos sin romper –enestricto sentido– con los órdenes familiares y comunitarios.
Palabras clave: mujeres indígenas, violencia, fronteras, estrategias, derechos, Ecuador
No More Stolen Sisters: The need for a comprehensive response to discrimination and violence against Indigenous women in Canada. Amnesty International; 2009. Publisher's VersionAbstract

http://www.amnesty.ca/research/reports/no-more-stolen-sisters-the-need-f...

Indigenous women in Canada face much higher rates of violence than other women. In a 2004 Canadian government survey, Indigenous women reported rates of violence, including domestic violence and sexual assault, 3.5 times higher than non-Indigenous women. Studies suggest that assaults against Indigenous women are not only more frequent, they are also often particularly brutal. According to another government survey, young First Nations women are five times more likely than other women to die as a result of violence.

No More Stolen Sisters: The need for a comprehensive response to discrimination and violence against Indigenous women in Canada. Amnesty International; 2009. Publisher's VersionAbstract

http://www.amnesty.ca/research/reports/no-more-stolen-sisters-the-need-f...

‘Families like mine all over Canada are wondering how many more sisters and daughters we have to lose before real government action is taken.’ Darlene Osborne whose relatives, Felicia Solomon and Helen Betty Osborne, were murdered.

Indigenous women in Canada face much higher rates of violence than other women. In a 2004 Canadian government survey, Indigenous women reported rates of violence, including domestic violence and sexual assault, 3.5 times higher than non-Indigenous women. Studies suggest that assaults against Indigenous women are not only more frequent, they are also often particularly brutal. According to another government survey, young First Nations women are five times more likely than other women to die as a result of violence.

In October 2004, Amnesty International released  a report, Stolen Sisters: A Human Rights Response to Discrimination and Violence against Indigenous Women in Canada which documented some of the underlying causes of violence against Indigenous women carried out by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous men. As the report showed, widespread and entrenched racism, poverty and marginalization are critical factors exposing Indigenous women to a heightened risk of violence while denying them adequate protection by police and government services.

Encuesta de salud y derechos de las mujeres indigenas - ENSADEMI. México : Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública - México; 2008 pp. 124. Publisher's VersionAbstract

http://www.insp.mx/produccion-editorial/publicaciones-anteriores-2010/65...

La ENSADEMI intenta por primera vez evaluar las condiciones de salud y violencia doméstica de las mujeres indígenas de México. Para ello se realizó una cuidada encuesta dirigida a las mujeres usuarias de los servicios de salud en comunidades rurales de seis estados.