Protecting Indigenous women from violence and discrimination must be a government priority
From Amnesty International web site
The Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples - The lives of Indigenous women and girls matter
21 April 2009 - Posted by: Craig Benjamin
In a message to the governments gathered for the Fifth Summit of the Americas, Amnesty International joined Indigenous women's organizations throughout the region in calling for an end to violence and discrimination against Indigenous women and girls.
Centuries of oppression and dispossession have denied the First Peoples of this hemisphere their fundamental human rights including rights to self-determination, culture, livelihood, health, economic development and security of the person.
In the midst of widespread marginalization, impoverishment and violent persecution, the Indigenous women of the Americas face an additional burden of gender discrimination and stereotyping that puts them at even greater risk of human rights violations.
We call on all governments in the region to publicly declare their commitment to working with Indigenous women to ensure effective protections for their rights, including:
- Preparing accurate, comprehensive reports on violations of Indigenous women’s rights, including violence against Indigenous women.
- Developing protocols and policies and providing adequate resources to ensure that Indigenous women at risk of violence will get the help they need, including appropriate responses from police and medical services and access to culturally appropriate emergency and long-term shelter.
- Fully investigating all attacks on Indigenous women and their families and bringing those responsible to justice.
- Implementing international human rights standards for the realization of Indigenous peoples’ rights including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Click here to see the 2004 Amnesty International report "STOLEN SISTERS: DISCRIMINATION AND VIOLENCE AGAINST INDIGENOUS WOMEN IN CANADA"
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Indigenous peoples excluded from Summit of the Americas
'By any measure, one of the most pressing human rights concerns throughout the Americas is the widespread violation of the rights of Indigenous Peoples. One would expect therefore that the situation of Indigenous Peoples would have prominence at a gathering such as the Summit of the Americas. Far from it.'