New York- Social exclusion based on sex, gender, caste, ethnicity, language, religion, culture and region have continued unabated for centuries due to Hinduism, patriarchy, monarchy and unitary state in Nepal.

27th May 2009, Venue- DC-12th 2 UN Plaza 44th Street

 

 

Indigenous women face multiple forms of social exclusion not only on the basis of sex and gender but also on the bases of ethnicity, language, religion, culture and region. It is a known fact that the state has not recognized the identity as Adivasi Janajati ("indigenous nationalities”) women as they lump them in general, homogenous category of “Nepali Women”.

The indigenous women leaders themselves are victim with multiple reasons such as - being indigenous first, indigenous women second and women in general third with the origin from diverse groups of culture, language and religion. 

Indigenous Women have played their significant role in each and every democratic movement of our country, whether it is in the social movement or during the armed conflict, Their due role in building peace process have often been neglected. While it comes to share the dividends of peace process the role of indigenous women have been undermined.

Therefore indigenous women are facing different forms of discrimination in various sector;

• In their own IP organization

• State policies 

• Political Institution

• Civil Society

• Women Movement

We are in the process of having a new constitution for our country and presently of the 601 constituent assembly member there are 215 indigenous Constituent Assembly members and of the total indigenous CA members indigenous women consists 33 percent. Indigenous Peoples still holds minority in the Constitution making process since we need 2/3rd majority to pass any issues and concerns. Therefore, the international instruments like UNDRIP (UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples) of which Nepal is already a party of it and ILO 169 which Nepal government had ratified will be a key instruments for lobbying our rights. We indigenous women CA members are lobbying our rights in the constitution making process by using these international UN Instruments. 

 

 

Therefore, we indigenous women CA members have come together and formed a Network among us to enhance the capacity of our indigenous CA members on ensuring the effective implementation of UNDRIP in the new constitution of Nepal. 

We are also trying to sensitize our own community and indigenous women leaders at the grass root level on UNDRIP .Unless the indigenous women leaders are fully informed on their issues and are fully competent and fully empowered using UNDRIP to plead their issues in Constituent Assembly a meaningful participation cannot be expected.

 

 

 

We are trying to  ensure indigenous women's fundamental rights and freedoms are  to be taken into account, we are lobbying  our government for the institutionalization of the UNDRIP as the working framework from which laws, policies and programmes that impact on indigenous women in particular and indigenous peoples in general, should be examined and operationalized.

-Lucky Sherpa, President, National Network of Indigenous Women, Member of Constituent Assembly Nepal.

 

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