Indigenous Women and the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
The Permanent Forum continues to play a key role in addressing the situation of indigenous women and making recommendations thereon. First, it has strategically positioned the rights of indigenous women as a priority at its annual sessions, either as the special theme or as one of the substantive areas, and has advocated, through its recommendations, concrete action to include their rights and perspectives in major intergovernmental frameworks. Second, it has created a global platform for indigenous women to share experiences and difficulties and exchange ideas and strategies to achieve their goals. Third, it provides an institutional venue for indigenous women to establish networks with non-governmental organizations and United Nations system entities to respond to some of the challenges that they continue to face around the world.
In response to indigenous women’s concerns, the Permanent Forum over the years has adopted a large number of recommendations containing direct references to the situation of indigenous women in connection with a wide range of issues, including education, culture, health, human rights, environment and development, conflict and political participation.
In addition, each year, the Permanent Forum has a stand-alone agenda item devoted to indigenous women’s issues. For example, in 2016, it held a session entitled “Indigenous peoples: conflict, peace and resolution”, and one of the two plenary meetings was focused on the unique case of indigenous women. Among its other recommendations, the Permanent Forum emphasized that the protection, security and rights of indigenous girls and women in conflict settings constituted an urgent priority, including within the framework of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women and peace and security. It also noted that sexual and gender-based violence increased in settings of conflict. Sexual violence has also been systematically used as a weapon of war against indigenous women. In the light of the particular risks and vulnerabilities of indigenous women and girls related to sexual and gender-based violence, the Permanent Forum recommended that Governments, local authorities, specialized agencies of the United Nations system and civil society collaborate with indigenous peoples to establish multisectoral and holistic approaches to combat the various forms of violence against women and girls (E/2016/43, paras. 56 and 57).Recommendations on Indigenous Women | United Nations For Indigenous Peoples