The information below is provided by our partner Continental Network of Indigenous Women of the Americas (ECMIA)
"Nothing about us, without us", "Everything about us, with us."
The organization Continental Network of Indigenous Women of the Americas (ECMIA), with the intention of contributing to the development of the Post-2015 Agenda, and exercising our right to self-determination as indigenous peoples; including the specific role of the indigenous woman, in all matters related to our human rights, political condition, wellbeing, we declare the following:
Regarding the eradication of poverty and hunger, considering that national advances hide the disparities within distinct subgroups, and that the fact of identifying as an indigenous girl or woman raises the probability of being poor; we lobby for a larger effort to achieve the eradication of extreme poverty; complementing the specific disaggregated data at national levels for indigenous communities with a focus on gender; and to eliminate discrimination against indigenous women with relation to employment according to CEDAW, Agreement 169 OIT, United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and other pertinent international instruments.
Regarding universal primary education, considering that indigenous girls, youth and older women are in majority illiterate due to the lack of access to the basic human right of education; and that girls temporarily abandon school, in contrast with boys, in order to continue with domestic work or due to curriculum not allowing for the linguistic, ethnic and cultural diversity of indigenous boys and girls, forgetting the contribution of intercultural and multilingual richness; we lobby for the advancement of intercultural citizenship that attends to and respects the needs of indigenous peoples to live their culture and their own language; and we demand that efforts do not only focus on the increase in education offering, but also the conditions that encourage effective and appropriate access to these services with interventions of a multisectoral character.
Regarding gender equality and women's autonomy, considering that the time dedicated to unpaid domestic work, and to paid work, the global load is higher among indigenous women. Considering that indigenous girls, youth and women that find themselves in the middle of armed conflicts suffer the loss of all of their surroundings and their own bodies; we lobby for the elimination of inequalities and contributions to governance from a focus on wellbeing of indigenous communities.
Regarding infant mortality, considering that within indigenous and Afro-descendant communities profound differences persist in relation to the rest of the population, and that in more than half of our communities the mortality is higher than 50%; we lobby to eradicate the extreme poverty of our girls and boys, improving the nutritional situation with the objective to achieve an impact in the reduction of infant mortality.
Regarding maternal health, considering that the inequalities and difficulties of access and use of reproductive health services continue to be very noticeable for rural and indigenous populations, among whom maternal mortality is very elevated, relating to the lack of services and emergency care; and taking into account that adolescent pregnancy is at the same time cause and result of socioeconomic, ethnic, generational and gender inequalities; we lobby for the provision of sexual and reproductive health services to adolescent boys and girls, including sexual education, with relevant services with an intercultural focus.
Regarding HIV/AIDS, considering that new studies mention indigenous women, boys and girls as highly vulnerable social groups in those that report an increase in transmission of the virus; we lobby for research, monitoring and evaluation of the epidemic with respect to indigenous peoples; and that prevention is emphasized through education in prevention, and that interventions are developed in an intercultural fashion.
Regarding the environment, considering the strong advances in the destruction of the environment and the global relevance they have; above all extractive industries that are more present in indigenous territories, contaminating, provoking militarization, human trade and sexual violence against indigenous women and girls; we lobby for respect for the Free and Prior Informed Consent of indigenous peoples, incorporating women; additionally we urge that programs to achieve the MDGs consider a collective land focus, that includes the environment and Mother Earth reaffirming that of the Declaration of 19/06/2012 R�o de Janeiro, where we reiterated our sacred responsibilities to future generations, a declaration adopted by networks, organizations, traditional authorities, spiritual guides, and indigenous people of the 7 global regions; and the Declaration of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change (IIFPCC) High-Level Segment, 22/11/2013, Varsovia, Poland.
Additionally, we urge that the gender and intercultural focus is cross-themed according to all of the proposed goals for 2015, recognizing through this way the interdependence of objectives and the key role of gender equality and that of indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants in development.
