STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST INDIGENOUS WOMEN, AGAINST ALL WOMEN & GIRLS

Cultural Survival – https://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?m=1101748879238&ca=3e4bffe6-6f85-46f3-b0a4-81e1d39fde5c

Mariana Quaxel Sul, Guatemala. Photo by Rossy Gonzalez.

November 25 is International Day for
the Elimination of Violence Against Women

The United Nations General Assembly has designated November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The premise of the day is to raise awareness of the fact that women around the world are subject to rape, domestic violence and other forms of violence; furthermore, one of the aims of the day is to highlight that the scale and true nature of the issue is often hidden. Indigenous women are affected by violence at a higher rate:

·         Native American and Alaska native women are 2.5 times more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted than other women in the US; 86% of reported cases are perpetrated by non-Natives.

·         A 2014 study by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police concluded that Indigenous women in Canada are four times more likely to be murdered than non-indigenous women.

·         In Indigenous territories occupied by the Burmese army, the rape of Indigenous women is both “entertainment” and part of a strategy to demoralize and weaken the indigenous population.

·         In Fiji, India, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Thailand, and Timor-Leste, militarized conflict over Indigenous land has led to gang-rape, sexual enslavement, and the murder of tribal women.

Source: Report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples: Rights of indigenous women and girls. By Victoria Tauli Corpuz