NEW DELHI: Tribal women leaders from cross cultural and geographical boundaries gathered in the capital to reflect on growing violence against tribal women.
In a national Workshop on “The Situation of Tribal Women in India”, held at Indian Social Institute, New Delhi, they discussed on common issues such as discrimination on the basis of their gender and ethnicity, forced displacement, depletion of their natural environment and resources, loss of territories, militarization, maoist violence, trafficking and migration, poverty and denial of socio-cultural rights etc.
Joan Carling, General Secretary of Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP), Thailand, who is also a member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) emphasized on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the obligation of states to respect and protect of these rights, including by taking legal measure and implementing programmes to ensure the recognition and enforcement of their rights and for the non-discrimination of tribal people and women in general. There are various policies and guidelines on the promotion, protection and dignity of tribal people’s rights and tribal women’s rights issued by different bodies and mechanisms at the international level like the UN agencies, the World Bank and Asia Development Bank etc. In spite of these gains the ground reality shows a different picture in India. Rights of tribal women are still violated and they have least access to appropriate education, health & infrastructures to support their sustainable livelihood.
Speaking on the situation of tribal domestic workers and trafficking in Delhi, Advocate and Secretary of the Labour Commission said that she alone had handled more than 700 cases of trafficking and rape of young tribal women.
Noted Activists, C K Janu from Kerala, Dr Gina (Manipur), Kheshli (Nagaland), Elina Horo (Jharkhand), Beronica Dung Dung (Odisha) & Mamta Kujur (Chhattisgarh) & other emphasized on the need to have a singular platform where tribal women from all the regions can raise their combined voice and strengthen the tribal women’s movement.
Dr Charuwali Khanna, women rights lawyer and member of National Commission for Women called for recommendations on the study of Women and Land Rights.
Rights of Indigenous Women from CEDAW Perspective
11th June 2012
NEW DELHI: On 2nd day of “National Consultation on the Situation of Tribal Women in India”, at Indian Social Institute, Delhi the tribal women leaders reflected on ensuring rights of Indigenous/Tribal women through UN Mechanism, Convention on Elimination on All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), as India is signatory.
Madhu Mehra, Executive Director of Partners for Law and Development, Delhi briefed the mechanism of CEDAW and its relevance in addressing the issues of tribal women on discrimination and violence related to Domestic violence, Trafficking, Exploitation, Prostitution, Political and Public Life, international representation, Nationality & Identity, Education & Health Care, Social & Economic Rights, Equality Before Law, Social Evil Practices such as witch hunting, child marriage, human sacrifice, honour killings etc.
On the above issues, participants from more than 40 organizations made important recommendations that will be included in the final Shadow report which will be submitted to the CEDAW Committee on behalf of the Inter State Adivasi Women’s Network (ISAWN) and Indigenous Women’s Forum of North East India (IWFNEI). During the 58th Session of the CEDAW, the committee will review India’s progress on implementation and its obligations on 2nd June, 2014.
Source: Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact