Promoting the rights of Indigenous Women

Indigenous women are determined to preserve their distinct cultures and traditions and are also working to build awareness of women’s human rights among their own communities. Indigenous women form one of the most vulnerable groups in the Country. They face multiple forms of discrimination associated especially with their indigenous identity, their gender, culture, religion and language. This multiple, or intersectional, discrimination is a significant obstacle to the ability of indigenous women to exercise their rights. As such, it limits their access to education, healthcare and justice along with their participation in political and decision-making processes. Throughout Uganda, indigenous women are exposed to physical, psychological and sexual violence. They live in precarious conditions and, indeed, in extreme poverty. The situation of indigenous women is worrying and we must take action. IWONET is supporting indigenous women to be engaged as visible change agents in landmark processes at the local, national and international levels such as the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing and related review processes, sessions of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), annual sessions of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and various sessions of the Conference of the Parties on Climate Change. Promoting Inclusion and visibility of indigenous