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Bringing Indigenous Perspectives to the International Arena: An Indigenous Women's Conference

Related Materials

  • Advancing Women's Human Rights in the International Arena: MADRE at Beijing+10
  • MADRE Position Papers: New Resources for Demanding Accountability for Women's Human Rights
  • Bringing Indigenous Perspectives to the International Arena: An Indigenous Women's Conference
  • International Indigenous Women's Forum Conference Website
  • International Indigenous Women's Forum B+10 Declaration
  • Indigenous women beyond the ten-year review of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action: A resolution supporting Indigenous women's human rights
  • Background: MADRE and the Beijing Conferences
  • MADRE's Human Rights Advocacy Program
  • Beyond Beijing: Some Priorities for the Global Women's Movement
  • Many thanks to the individuals and businesses that gave time and made donations to support our work during Beijing+10

MADRE's priority in the international arena has always been to make it possible for community-based women to participate effectively in the process of creating international policy. At B+10, MADRE supported the International Indigenous Women's Forum (abbreviated as FIMI in Spanish) to do just that. Through FIMI, Indigenous women were a powerful presence at B+10, where they won passage of one of the only resolutions to advance women's rights, educated hundreds of women from around the world about Indigenous women's issues, and played leadership roles in articulating the next steps for the global women's movement.

FIMI's activities during B+10 included:

An Indigenous Women's Conference: In preparation for Beijing+10, FIMI organized the International Indigenous Women's Forum conference in New York City: Bringing Indigenous Perspectives to the International Arena: An Indigenous Women's Conference. The conference aimed to enable Indigenous women to integrate agendas, strengthen unity, further develop leadership and advocacy skills, and to enhance their participation in decision-making processes in the international arena. More than 110 women from 22 countries representing every region of the world took part in the conference. Speakers included internationally recognized Indigenous leaders and human rights advocates as well as women whose community-based work offered insights, strategies and questions for the gathering to address. The interplay between the conference and B+10 events brought an Indigenous perspective to B+10 and gave Indigenous women the opportunity to strengthen their work for gender justice in their communities and countries.

Outcome Declaration: "The International Indigenous Women's Declaration" produced by the conference addresses: Indigenous women's human rights, including collective rights; sustainable development; Indigenous resources and economic justice; and the Millennium Development Goals.

Resolution: At B+10, Indigenous women wrote and negotiated one of the few resolutions adopted by UN Member States, calling on "Governments, intergovernmental agencies, the private sector and civil society [to] adopt measures that ensure the full and effective participation of indigenous women in the implementation, follow-up work and monitoring of the Beijing Platform for Action and the Millennium Development Goals."

Capacity-Building for Indigenous Women: Together with the Secretariat of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, FIMI organized a series of trainings for Indigenous women at B+10 to enable them to strengthen their advocacy skills, improve their ability to navigate the international arena and enhance their work for women's human rights at the local and national level. The trainings addressed:

  • The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues;
  • The Millenium Development Goals;
  • The Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Indigenous Peoples;
  • Women in Conflict and Post-conflict;
    • and the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

Media Campaign: FIMI conducted two press conferences at the United Nations headquarters during B+10: "Indigenous Women's Human Rights and B+10" and "Violence Against Indigenous Women." Members of FIMI conducted numerous interviews with print, radio, and television outlets during B+10.

Public Education: FIMI conducted public education efforts at B+10 focusing on:

  • advancing, rather than merely defending, a women's human rights agenda by urging governments to reaffirm the BPFA and commit to stronger actions to respect, protect, and fulfill women's human rights;
  • promoting a critical understanding of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) currently at the center of the UN agenda and arguing for a mutually reinforcing relationship between the MDGs and the BPFA;
  • and denouncing violations of women's human rights in the name of national security or culture.

An Exchange of Strategies, Skills, and Friendship: Throughout the two weeks of B+10, FIMI organized opportunities for Indigenous women to socialize, learn from one another, and share information and insights about their work for rights and resources. FIMI also facilitated opportunities for exchange and critical discussion between Indigenous and non-Indigenous women within the global women's movement.

MADRE is proud to have sponsored and facilitated these accomplishments.