Oral statement by Romita Reang on behalf of the Asia Indigenous Women’s Network (AIWN) and the Indigenous Women’s Forum of North East India (IWFNEI) during the 68^th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women at the UN Headquarters in New York.

Priority Theme: Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective

I am Romita Reang, and I come from the Reang (Bru) Tribe, which is recognised as a Scheduled Tribe and a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group in India. It is an honour and pride for an Indigenous woman from a Scheduled Tribe to have this opportunity to represent Asia Indigenous Women’s Network and Indigenous Women’s Forum of North East India in bringing to the table important priority issues and the concerns of Indigenous Women. 

Indigenous Women’s Forum of North East India (IWFNEI) is a mass-based women’s organization in North East India that is based on the common aspirations of indigenous tribal peoples. It aims to strengthen indigenous women’s participation in decision-making bodies and socio-economic issues, as well as strengthen traditional knowledge and culture. It has been active in building the skills and capabilities of indigenous women and in peacebuilding, mediation and dialogue among the conflicting communities.

The primary reasons for the slow progress toward gender equality and empowerment are:

1. Access - Access to adequate and appropriate public services and social protection systems remains a challenge to indigenous women and girls. 

2. Weak delivery and implementation - Initiatives for empowerment are encumbered by inadequate and/or weak implementation of statutory and customary laws and institutions that have yet to fully embrace the concept of gender equality to enable efficient operationalization on the ground.

While there are pólices in place and government efforts to respond to indigenous women’s empowerment, there is a big gap in efficient implementation, usually due to meager resources, low capacities and vague mechanisms. Our own efforts for the same are beset with the lack of appropriate information, skills and capacities to access services, resources, the law and justice.

On this note, on behalf of the Asia Indigenous Women’s Network and Indigenous Women’s Forum of North-East India, recommend:

1. It is important to note the intersections and interconnections of the disempowerment of indigenous women. The institutionalization of poverty among indigenous women and girls requires systemic, comprehensive, gender-responsive and culturally sensitive approaches. It starts with an acknowledgement of how mechanisms that address poverty among indigenous women and girls require a holistic response to the loss of indigenous territories and exploitation of their natural resources, including conservationist initiatives and their history of discrimination.
2. Recognize and support indigenous women's and their communities' right to self-determination to define the development they want and the empowerment mechanisms they need. Governments, development agencies and donors must ensure increased political representation and participation of indigenous women at the traditional, local, national and international levels and provide adequate spaces and resources to ensure their voices are heard in decision-making institutions, including the customary judicial system.
3. Create collaborative efforts among international agencies, national institutions and indigenous women and girls agencies to advance indigenous women's empowerment through the effective implementation of GR 39. xxx