Database • Plan International - Girls' Rights Platform - Girls' rights are human rights: Positioning girls at the heart of the international agenda

Rights of indigenous women and girls 2015, para. 72a

Paragraph text: [Despite the significant constraints facing them, there are many instances where indigenous women having successfully mobilized to fight for their rights. Those successes have led to the development of promising practices in relation to the respect and protection of indigenous women. The following examples of good practice are illustrative and not exhaustive:] As observed by the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, the tribal justice system of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in the United States has an effective infrastructure to provide safety of women within their jurisdiction, including dedicated codes to address domestic violence and training for personnel of tribal law enforcement authorities, tribal courts, prosecutors and probation officers. Furthermore, tribal courts have ordered that offenders enrol in re-education programmes and tribes support programmes to encourage boys and young men to respect women;

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Paragraph text: [Compelled by economic need, armed conflict and denial of self-determination and land rights in the context of major economic development projects, many indigenous peoples migrate from their home communities in rural areas to urban centres. Indigenous women and girls who leave their communities are highly vulnerable to trafficking, which can lead to multiple violations of their human rights, including severe economic and sexual exploitation and sexual violence. There are also cases of indigenous women being targeted by organized traffickers within their own communities. Reports of trafficking of indigenous women and children include the following:] In the Miskitu communities of Nicaragua, indigenous women have reported the phenomenon of selling and trafficking of indigenous girls and boys, citing communitarian violence as the cause;

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Paragraph text: In that connection, indigenous girls tend to be more disadvantaged than indigenous boys. In additional to the factors impacting overall indigenous dropout rates, girls can experience a number of additional barriers. Firstly, their role within communities often means that they are expected to help with domestic and care responsibilities. Secondly, indigenous girls may also be subjected to child marriage, so that their roles as wives and sometimes child bearers mean that they have to leave school. Thirdly, indigenous girls may face the risk of sexual violence and rape during long journeys to school, as evidenced in the report of the Working Group on Discrimination against Women in Law and in Practice on its visit to Peru. The significance of this barrier to education is exacerbated by the presence of legislation in some States that prohibits women and girls from being able to seek abortion services, even if they become pregnant following rape.

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