Sexual and gender-based violence increases in settings of conflict. Sexual violence has also been used systematically as a weapon of war against indigenous women. In the light of the particular risks and vulnerabilities of indigenous women and girls relating to sexual and gender-based violence, the Permanent Forum recommends 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.
Noting that the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women makes no reference to indigenous women and that it does not take into account the specific nature of the gender dimension of racial discrimination, the Forum recommends that the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women:
a. Pay special attention to the issues related to maintaining the integrity of indigenous women and the gender dimension of racial discrimination against indigenous peoples;
b. Organize a meeting, in collaboration with indigenous women, UNIFEM, UNESCO and UNDP, with the objective of beginning a process to develop and adopt a general recommendation on indigenous women, including women living under colonization.
The Forum, to underscore its long-term commitment to the issue of "indigenous women", recommends that its secretariat:
a. Assist IANWGE in its efforts to mainstream indigenous women’s issues throughout the United Nations system;
b. Strengthen liaison with the Forum’s portfolio holders in order to provide feedback on indigenous women’s issues in each of the mandated areas to the Forum;
c. Promote the monitoring and reporting on the implementation process of programmes within the United Nations system designed to address indigenous women’s issues and the assessment of their impact;
d. Increase outreach to indigenous women’s groups and assist them in networking and information-sharing;
e. Create strong liaison relationship with universities and other institutions of learning and research with the aim of mainstreaming indigenous women’s issues in academic curricula, assist indigenous women’s organizations in identifying and effectively utilizing available education resources and programmes, and promote capacity-building through fellowships, grants etc.;
f. Build broad-based awareness of indigenous women’s issues by increasing the Forum’s media outreach (e.g., through newsletters, radio, web site, publications in journals on indigenous issues).
The Permanent Forum welcomes the initiative of IOM to establish a coordination mechanism for combating the trafficking of indigenous women and girls.
The Permanent Forum recommends that UNFPA continue its work in support of the participation of indigenous women in regional and national consultations, including training and other capacity-building programmes
The Forum welcomes the participation and perspective of indigenous women and girls with disabilities, recognizes the distinct vulnerability and marginalization that such indigenous individuals encounter as members of an indigenous group, and encourages United Nations agencies, and Governments and organizations, to include their views.
The Permanent Forum expresses concern regarding indigenous young people in situations in which they are increasingly migrating from their communities because of poverty, lack of economic opportunities and climate change. With a focus on Sustainable Development Goal 8, the Forum encourages ILO and IOM, in cooperation with indigenous peoples, to conduct a study, by 2021, on good practices on, opportunities for and challenges in generating culturally appropriate, decent work for indigenous young people. The study should inform the development of programmes and initiatives for indigenous youth employment, both in their communities and in the context of migration.
Building upon past work of the Permanent Forum with regard to indigenous women, in particular the study on the extent of violence against indigenous women and girls in terms of article 22 (2) of the United Nations Declaration (see E/C.19/2013/9) and the report of the international expert group meeting on combating such violence (see E/2012/43-E/C.19/2012/13) the Forum recommends that States adopt measures aimed at addressing the specific problems of police brutality, systemic police violence and discrimination against indigenous women, as experienced, for example, by indigenous women in Val-d’Or, Canada, Sepur Zarco, Guatemala, and north-east India.
The Permanent Forum underscores that direct access to financing for Indigenous Peoples is essential and requires changing strategies and methodologies to effectively enable the agency of Indigenous Peoples in pursuing their own development aspirations and as guardians of ecosystems. The Permanent Forum recommends that all donors increase direct funding, eliminating intermediaries where possible. To enhance accountability in financing for Indigenous Peoples, the Permanent Forum recommends that the Development Aid Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development include a policy marker in its statistical system for the reporting of development aid to facilitate tracking of funding allocated for Indigenous Peoples across all sectors.
The Permanent Forum continues to raise region-specific concerns about the adverse impact of climate change on indigenous communities (see E/2011/43-E/C.19/2011/14, para. 30) and invites the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to prepare a study on the impact of climate change on indigenous women, for submission to the Forum at its eighteenth session.
The Forum recognizes the instrumental role of the Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality (IANWGE) and welcomes the identification of "indigenous women" as an emerging key issue, the creation of a task force on indigenous women and the inclusion of an item on indigenous women in its 2005 agenda. The Forum requests its secretariat to transmit to it the results of the 2005 session of IANWGE on indigenous women.
The Permanent Forum recommends that States, United Nations agencies and other intergovernmental organizations and bilateral donors support the promotion and full and effective participation of indigenous women in decision-making spheres at all levels, including in administration and civil service, government action, government bodies, political parties, the judiciary and trade unions and that leadership and training processes be considered as pillars for such participation.