Indigenous Women to Convene at Guatemala Meeting

More than three hundred indigenous leaders from North, Central and South America will gather from the 16th to 19th of November in Guatemala City to take stock of the progress thusfur in the recognition of their rights.

This seventh meeting shall celebrate twenty years of history for the Continental Network of Indigenous Women of the Americas, ECMIA, a network that includes more than thirty indigenous organizations from among twenty countries in the Americas.

Among the prominent figures scheduled to attend is Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchú, who will give the keynote speech. Also, José Francisco Cali Tzay, President of the Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, CERD, with speak on one of the panels about progress made by indigenous women in this UN body.

Representatives from Amnesty International, the Ford Foundation, the World Bank, Fondo Indígena and United Nations bodies such as the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, UN Women and UNFPA, among others, will also be in attendance, to discuss themes of cooperation and working together.

The VII Continental Meeting of Indigenous Women of the Americas seeks to promote reflection, analysis and socialization around human rights and other issues relevant to the lives of indigenous women.

Among them, violence, racism, cultural identity affirmation, protection of intellectual property, sexual and reproductive health, political participation, the right to communicate, climate change impacts and questions of land access and territorial sovereignty.

Similarly, the scope of international processes will be known with regard to population, development, gender and indigenous rights.

The spotlight will be on the Declaration and Platform for Action, the International Conference on Population and Development, the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN Convention framework on Climate Change as well as the plans from the World Conference of Indigenous Peoples and the Global Conference of Indigenous Women of 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Preparations for this meeting are being coordinated by ECMIA, the National Coordination of Widows of Guatemala, CONAVIGUA, and CHIRAPAQ, the Center for Indigenous Cultures of Peru.

Invited to participate are indigenous women who are active members of their organizations, leadership of secretariats who are responsible for gender, youth and family in the same areas, or are influencing political processes in national and international bodies. Indigenous women leaders who are renowned in their respective countries are especially encouraged to attend.

Representatives of multilateral organizations, state officials, representatives of nongovernmental organizations and other interested persons may attend as observers.

The registration process shall require completing an application form with pertinent information about the organization, and should include background and experience of the prospective attendee, as well as a brief description of her/his expertise in the areas of work to be discussed at the VII Meeting. The form must be completed and submitted by October 15th via email to ecmia.ecmia@gmail.com

Indigenous leaders who do not have the resources to finance their own participation may apply for a scholarship, and should attach a letter of application to their registration forms. In all cases, the organizing committee will notify those who have been selected by early November.

Las lideras indígenas que no cuenten con recursos para financiar su participación podrán postular a una beca, adjuntando una carta de solicitud a su ficha de inscripción. En todos los casos arriba mencionados, el comité organizador, dará a conocer a los seleccionados a inicios de noviembre.

To download the application form visit www.ecmia.org. For more information, please call +(511) 423-2757.