VIOLATION OF WOMEN

Violence against women by their domestic partners is recognized as a major international

public health problem in both developed and developing countries. Australia, Western
Australia, in particular, is no exception.

 Domestic violence is the most common form of assault in Australia.

 In a 1996 survey in Australia, 2.6% of women in a relationship reported a violent
incident in the 12 months prior to the survey.
 Since the age of 15, 30% of women had experienced physical violence and 18% had
experienced sexual violence from a male.
 A national survey indicated 42% of women (1.1 million) who had ever been in a
relationship reported an incident of violence by a partner. Young women aged 18 -
24 years are at more risk of domestic violence than women from any other age
group.
 Aboriginal people are approximately 45 times more likely to be victimized by
domestic violence than non-Aboriginal people. Overall, Aboriginal victims sustain
more serious injuries from reported incidents of domestic violence than non-
Aboriginal victims.

Gender Considerations: Intimate partner violence also involves female-to-male partner

violence and same sex partner violence. However, male-to-female partner violence occurs
much more frequently and with far more serious consequences in terms of injury and death.
In 1994, Western Australian females were victims in 91.4% of domestic violence cases and
males in 8.6%.

Health Costs: Victims of family and domestic violence are at increased risk of injury, and
gynecological problems, have twice as many miscarriages, and have higher levels of stress
and anxiety, depression, and psychiatric illness. Victims are also more likely to attempt or
commit suicide, abuse drugs, have an alcohol problem, and suffer from social isolation.

Family Consequences: Intimate partner violence not only has major consequences for the
physical and mental health of the women, but also has major consequences for children and
other family members. Children affected by witnessing violence in the home may display
nervous and withdrawn behavior, anxiety, adjustment problems, few social interests, poor
school performance, bedwetting, restlessness, psychosomatic illness, excessive cruelty to
animals, and aggressive language and behavior. The children (who may also be victims of
domestic violence) are at higher risk of being a victim or perpetrator in their future
relationships.

Economic Costs: The estimated cost of assisting 20 victims of domestic violence in

Western Australia in 1989 was more than $1 million. A more recent analysis which includes
direct and indirect costs estimated the annual cost of domestic violence to be over $1.5
billion. The study showed that over half the costs ($800 million) are borne by the women
themselves; the cost to the Commonwealth and the State Governments is $400 million and
the remainder of the cost is to other people such as employers.

Non-Economic Costs: The costs of such violence must include jail time, emergency ward
treatments, hospital bed nights, placements for family members who leave their homes,
and lives lost in homicides and suicides. There also are enormous costs in terms of
children’s lost happiness, as well as the fear that all victims experience.
Psychological Consequences for Violent Men: Violent men rarely attract sympathy.
Nevertheless, they frequently suffer psychologically via guilt and remorse, feelings of
helplessness, anxiety and depression. They often commit suicide (or murder-suicide).

Forms of Violence against Women

Violence against women and girls has many manifestations, including forms that may be more
common in specific settings, countries and regions.

Violence against women manifests itself as physical, sexual, emotional and economic.

The most universally common forms include domestic and intimate partner violence, sexual
violence (including rape), sexual harassment, and emotional/psychological violence. Sexual
violence as a tactic of warfare and in the aftermath of emergencies is also common in the
respective countries and areas affected.

 Other widespread forms around the globe include: sexual exploitation, sexual trafficking,
and f you don’t know what your rights are, you can’t know if they are being respected,
protected and made real. That’s why article 42 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the
Child (UNCRC) says that children’s rights under the Convention need to be made widely
known to adults and children alike.
 Under a law called the Ombudsman for Children Act 2002, one of the things that the
Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) is obliged to do is raise awareness of
children’s rights among children and young people, and to let them know about the UN
Convention on the Rights of the Child.
 In 2016, the OCO asked 2,148 young people how they would like to learn about their
rights. The Tune In consultation found that 74 out of 94 groups said they would like to
learn about their rights at school or on the internet. 50/94 groups said they would like to
see more videos about their rights.
 UNCRC25 is a year-long programme run by the OCO that hopes to raise awareness of
children’s rights. It aims to start conversations about children’s rights, to see how well
Ireland has been doing at protecting children’s rights in the last 25 years, and what more
can be done.
 In 2016, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child recommended that Ireland should
make sure that more children and young people know about the UNCRC, especially
children with disabilities, or children seeking asylum. They also said that Ireland should
do more to make sure that professionals working with or for children receive education
and training about children’s rights.
 Learning about children’s rights is part of the Irish curriculum. In school you can learn
about your rights in Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) in primary school and
in Civic Social and Political Education (CSPE) in secondary school.
 Citizen Information Online has information about your rights and entitlements. The
Children’s Rights Alliance and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties have a helpful
booklet that explains what your rights are in Ireland.
You have the right to know your rights! Adults should know about these rights and help you
learn about them, too.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF VIOLENCE
Types of violence
Psychological violence
Physical violence
Sexual violence
Examples
 You humiliate her by using words such as ''silly'',
''stupid'', ''good for nothing'', etc.
 Your swear at her.
 You show jealousy.
 You prevent her from seeing her friend and/or family.
 You prevent her from working outside the home or
participating in activities.
 You have a violent behaviour (ex.: break things, bang
on the walls or on objects), or you threaten her in
order to scare her.
 You push her, pinch her, squeeze her arms, throw her
to the floor, hit her, or inflict bodily harm.
 You insult her about her sexuality ''not good in bed'',
''not sexually attractive'', etc.
 You say hurtful comments about her body ''fat'',
''skinny'', ''ugly'', etc.
 You force her to perform sexual acts she does not
want.
A risky environment

Human rights defenders face serious risks all over the world for their work to protect their
communities,peoples and environment.Due to the nature of their work, they often become targets
of both State and non State actors who seek to discourage, discredit and disrupt their activities.

According to Front Line Defenders, 281 human rights defenders were killed in 25 countries in
2016, a major increase compared to 185 in 2015, and 130 in 2014. Most of the cases were related
to land, indigenous and environmental rights and a majority occurred in Latin America and Asia,
although indigenous human rights defenders in all regions of the world face increasing levels of
reprisals

Many human rights defenders are subjected to violent attacks and threats, enforced
disappearances, illegal surveillance, travel bans, blackmail, sexual harassment and other forms of
violence and discrimination .Criminalization of the activities of human rights defenders is a
common tactic to silence protesters and todissuade others. Lawsuits are also used asdeterrents to
exhaust human rights defenders’ financial resourcesand discourage their motivation.

To a large degree erpetrators of crimes against human rights defenders act with impunity.
Protection fo human rights defenders is overall lacking or ineffective. The Special Rapporteur on
the situation of humanrights defenders has noted that in almost every affected Latin American
country,

Government and corporateactors are involved in the crimes committed against human rights
defenders

Citizen is the person who lives as an inhabitant in any village or city of the state and country. We
all are citizen of our country and have various rights and responsibilities towards our village,
city, society, state and country. Rights and duties of each citizen are very valuable and inter-
related. Every state or country provides its citizens some fundamental civil rights such as
personal rights, religious rights, social rights, moral rights, economic rights and political rights.
As a citizen of the country we are morally and legally required to complete our duties always
together. We should love and respect each other and live together without any difference. We are
expected to sacrifice time to time in order to protect our country.
Rights and Responsibilities of Citizens Essay 2 (150 words)

Citizens living in the country must know their rights and responsibilities. Understanding all the
rules and regulation presented by the government may help every citizen in completing their
responsibilities towards country. We must understand our rights for our own well being and
freedom in the country as well as serve for the communities and country. The constitution of
India (called as supreme law of India) came into force in 1950 on 26 January which has given
democratic rights to the Indian citizen. According to the Indian constitution, people of India have
various rights and responsibilities.

There are around six fundamental rights of the Indian citizens without which no one can live in
the democratic manner. Means, democracy in the country can work only if its citizens have
rights. Such rights prevent the government from being dictatorial and cruel. Fundamental rights
help people in their moral, material and personality development. In case of rights violations of
someone, courts can protect and safeguard them. There are some fundamental responsibilities too
for the peace and prosperity of the country.

Rights and Responsibilities of Citizens Essay 3 (200 words)

Fundamental rights of the Indian citizens are given to them for the basic and essential conditions
of good life for their progress. Without such rights no Indian citizen can develop his/her
personality and confidence. These fundamental rights are preserved in the Indian Constitution.
Fundamental rights are protected and guaranteed to the citizens by supreme law while ordinary
rights by the ordinary law. Fundamental rights of the citizens are not violable in ordinary
situation however in some reasonable circumstances they can be suspended but temporarily.

Six fundamental rights according to the Indian constitution are Right to Equality (Article 14 –
Article 18), Right to Religion (Articles 25 – Article 28), Right against Exploitation (Articles 23 –
Article 24), Right to Culture and Education (Articles 29 – Article 30), Right to Freedom
(Articles 19 – Article 22), and Right to Constitutional Remedies (Article 32). Citizens enjoy their
fundamental rights living anywhere in the country. He/she can go to the court for legal assistance
in case his/her rights are violated by force. There are various responsibilities too of the good
citizens which everyone must follow in order to improve surroundings and get inner peace.
Fulfilling responsibilities towards country gives sense of ownership for the country. Being a
good citizen of the country, we should not waste electricity, water, natural resources, public
property, etc. We should follow all the rules and laws as well as pay tax timely.

Rights and Responsibilities of Citizens Essay 4 (250 words)

Fundamental rights given to the Indian citizens are essential part of the Constitution. Such
fundamental rights can be altered by the Parliament using special procedure. No person other
than Indian citizen is allowed to enjoy such rights except right to liberty, life, and personal
property. Other fundamental rights except right to life and personal liberty can be suspended
during time of emergency. If any citizen found his/her rights violated can go to the court
(Supreme Court and High Court) for enforcement. Some fundamental rights are positive or
negative in nature and always become superior to the ordinary laws. Some fundamental rights
like freedom of speech, assembly, cultural right and educational rights are limited to citizens
only.

There were no fundamental duties preserved in the Constitution of India when it came into force
in 1950. However, ten fundamental duties (covered by Article 51 A) were added in the 42nd
Amendment of the Constitution of India in 1976. Following are the fundamental responsibilities
of the Indian citizens:

 Indian citizen must respect their National Flag and the National Anthem.
 They must respect, value and follow all the noble ideals used in the national struggle for
freedom.
 They must to protect the power, unity and integrity of the country.
 They guard the country and maintain the spirit of common brotherhood.
 They must protect and preserve the cultural heritage sites.
 They must protect, preserve and improve the natural environment.
 They must safeguard the public property.
 They should develop scientific temper and spirit of inquiry.
 They must work hard to get excellence in every area of individual and collective activity.

Rights and Responsibilities of Citizens Essay 5 (300 words)

Fundamental duties of the Indian citizens are mentioned in the 42nd Amendment of the
Constitution of India in 1976. All the responsibilities are very important and necessary for the
vital interest of country. They can be civic duties or moral duties which cannot be enforced
legally upon the citizens even by the courts. One cannot be punished if he/she is not performing
his/her duties as there is no legal force governing these duties. Fundamental duties (right to
equality, right to freedom, right against exploitation, right to freedom of religion, cultural and
educational rights and right to constitutional remedies) are the integral part of Constitution of
India having moral impact and educative value upon the Indian citizens. Inclusion of such
responsibilities to the Constitution is important for the progress, peace and prosperity of the
country.

Some of the fundamental responsibilities mentioned in the Constitution of India are like respect
to the National Flag, the National Anthem, citizens must defend their country, commit to provide
National service whenever required, safeguard the public property, etc. Such rights and
responsibilities are very important for National interest of the country however not forcefully
enforced to the people. In order to completely enjoy the rights, people must perform their
responsibilities towards country in a well manner as rights and responsibilities are related to each
other. As we get rights our responsibilities increases too towards individual and social welfare.
Both are not separable and vital regarding prosperity of country.
As a good citizen of the country, we need to know and learn our all the rights and duties for the
welfare of our society and country. We need to understand that all of us are responsible for good
or bad condition of the society. We need to change our thinking into action to bring some
positive effect in our society and country. If the individual action performed by a person can
change the life; why not, our collaborative actions have positive effects over the society and
country. So, the duties of citizens matters a lot for the prosperity and peace of society and entire
country.

Rights and Responsibilities of Citizens Essay 6 (400 words)

As we are a social animal, we have lots of responsibilities for the development as well as bring
prosperity and peace in the society and country. In order to fulfill our responsibilities we have
given some rights by the Constitution of India. Rights are very necessary given to the citizens for
their individual development and improve the social life. Democratic system of the country is
completely based on the freedom of its citizens to enjoy their rights. Rights given by our
Constitution are called as Fundamental Rights which cannot be taken back from us in normal
times. Our Constitution gives us six rights such as:

 Right to Freedom: It is very important fundamental right which makes people able to
express their thoughts and ideas through speech, writing or other means. According to
this right, a person is free to cherish, criticize or speak against the governmental policies.
He/she is free to carry on any business in any corner of the country.
 Right to Freedom of Religion: There are many states in the country where people of
various religions live together. Each one of us is free to practice, propagate and follow
any religion we like. No one has right to interfere with the faith of anybody.
 Right to Equality: Citizens living in India are equal and have no any difference and
discrimination between rich and poor or high and low. A person of any religion, caste,
creed, sex or place can get the highest position in office for which he/she has ability and
required qualifications
 Right to Education and Culture: Every child has right to education and he/she can get
education in any institution up to any level.
 Right against Exploitation: No one has right to force anybody to work without wages or
against his/her wish or children below 14 years of age.
 Right to Constitutional Remedies: It is the most important one which protects all the
fundamental rights. If someone feels that his/her rights are being harmed in any condition
he/she can approach to the court seeking justice.

As we know that both, duties and rights go side by side. Our rights are meaningless without
duties thus both are inseparable. We do not have right to get benefited with rights if we do not
follow our duties properly for the smooth running of country. As being the citizen of the country,
our responsibilities and duties are:
  We must respect the National Flag and National Anthem.
 We should respect and obey the laws of our country.
 We should enjoy rights and freedom under the limit without interfering with freedom and
rights of others.
 We should be ready to protect our country whenever required.
 We should respect and protect national property and public property (such as railways,
post-offices, bridges, roadways, schools, colleges, historical buildings, places, forests,
etc).
 We should pay our taxes with honesty in timely manner.

Here's an important idea to remember: No matter who you are, and no matter how you
live, you have rights, and these rights are meant to protect you. Now, most people
understand your rights, but, sometimes, people do act unfairly and you have to stick up
for yourself to make sure you're treated with the respect you deserve. It can be hard, but it
needs to be done, and if you're ever confused or scared, there are people who can help.

Here are some examples of your rights. First, you have the right to dignity and respect. This
means nobody should hit you, kick you, or touch you without your permission. This also means
nobody should yell at you, say words that are meant to hurt you, or take away your medication.

You also have the right to control your money. This means you can buy the things you want, and
no one should tell you how to spend your money or take away your money without your
permission.

Another important right is the right to live the way you want. This means you can make friends
with the people you want, you can work at the job you want, and you can live with whoever you
want to live with. It can be easy to let other people tell you how you should do these things, and
listening to good advice is important, but you also need to speak up if the people in your life
aren't listening or giving you a choice.

These are only some of your rights. It would take a long time to list all of them, but they do have
one thing in common... you have the right to be treated just like everybody else, no matter who
you are and no matter how you live your life.

Here's the good part. If you ever need help protecting yourself, you also have the right to due
process. This means you can get answers to your questions and use those answers to change the
way people are treating you.

That's why it's so important to learn your rights, to ask for help if nobody's listening to you, and
to share what you know with others. It's simply the right thing to do!
With free expression under increasing attack, students and their parents must understand and
appreciate the rights protected by our Constitution.

In this age of political correctness, the rights of free expression and free exercise of religion
protected in the First Amendment are coming under increasing attack. Nowhere is this attack
more vicious than on school campuses across the nation, where students from elementary school
through college are being told not to practice their faith or speak their mind because doing so
might offend someone.

If America is to be the land of the free and prosperous, it is important that future generations
learn, understand and appreciate the freedoms they have, as there are many who are working to
undermine those freedoms and our way of life.

For example, students have the right to form and meet in groups or clubs; express their beliefs
and opinions in homework, artwork, and written and oral assignments; wear t-shirts, pray and
discuss religion with other students, and bring Bibles to school; and pray alone or with others in
school. Unfortunately, too many school administrators and teachers don’t understand or respect
these rights, and will attempt to prevent students from exercising them.

At the same time, the principles of freedom and liberty that used to inform education in the U.S.
are increasingly being left behind. The education your child receives should be the foundation
for a productive, fulfilling life, but too often it seems like kids are hearing less about their own
rights and practical civics.

That’s why it’s important for students and their parents to know their rights and how to stand up
for them—both in the face of direct attacks on their rights and in broad terms as they engage in
the civic process through volunteering, voting and grassroots action.

Understanding the Constitution is a must for every individual. To learn more, you can visit our
website to find a Know Your Rights class near you. Here, you’ll learn the basics of the
Constitution, better understand your rights as an American in and outside the classroom, and
learn tips and tricks to pass that knowledge on to others.
What are children’s rights?

Children as well as adults have human rights. Children also have the right to special protection
because of their vulnerability to exploitation and abuse.

The main international human rights treaty on children’s rights is the Convention on the Rights
of the Child (CRC). The CRC is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in the world.
Australia ratified the CRC in December 1990, which means that Australia has a duty to ensure
that all children in Australia enjoy the rights set out in the treaty.

The CRC incorporates the whole spectrum of human rights - civil, political, economic, social and
cultural - and sets out the specific ways these rights should be ensured for children and young
people. The CRC recognises that children have the same human rights as adults, while also
needing special protection due to their vulnerability.

hildren experiencing homelessness or mental health issues, children with disability, children in
immigration detention and Indigenous children can be particularly at risk of falling through the
gaps.

The voices of children and young people are also rarely heard when decisions are made about the
issues that affect their lives.

Over the years, the Australian Human Rights Commission has undertaken a number of major
projects to draw community attention to the serious human rights challenges facing vulnerable
groups of children.

This work was given a new focus in 2013 when Ms Megan Mitchell, Australia's
inaugural National Children's Commissioner was appointed to the Commission.

The National Children's Commissioner's key duties include:

• Advocating nationally for the rights and interests of children and young people – this includes
all children and young people up to eighteen years of age
• Promoting children’s participation in decisions that impact on them

• Providing national leadership and coordination on child rights issues

• Promoting awareness of and respect for the rights of children and young people in Australia
• Undertaking research about children’s rights
• Looking at laws, policies and programs to ensure they protect and uphold the rights of children
and young people.

To do this work, the National Children's Commissioner consults widely with children and young
people and their representatives. The Commissioner's activities also complement the important
work of state and territory children's commissioners and guardians.

WOMEN.

November 25 marks the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence
against Women. In a world where one in three women will experience physical, emotional or
sexual violence at least once in her lifetime, the day is intended to raise awareness about violence
against women on a global scale.

According to the World Health Organization, violence against women – such as intimate partner
violence, rape and emotional abuse – poses a significant public health problem in every country.

The most extreme form of violence against women is femicide – when a woman is killed because
she is a woman. According to the Small Arms Survey, femicides account for almost 20% of
global homicides or about 66,000 women annually.

Unfortunately, because cases of femicide are underreported or misidentified as general homicide,

the true prevalence is not known. For instance, in the United States the Federal Bureau of
Investigation only reported on 25 cases of gender-based killing in 2013, even though over 50%
of female homicide victims in the US are killed by an intimate partner or family member.

To date, 119 countries have federal laws addressing the issue of violence against women. These
laws are meant to offer women greater legal protection from violence. But for these laws to
work, women need to feel that coming forward will not expose them to further violence, and they
must trust that their claims will be taken seriously. The purpose of these laws must be understood
by the general public.

Data from Nicaragua, which passed such a law in 2012, suggest that women do not believe that
the law is protecting them.

What does a femicide law do?

In recent years, laws intended to protect women from violence have been on the rise. Earlier this
year, Afghanistan renewed its commitment to enforce existing laws to protect women from
violence.

Brazil took things a step further passing a new anti-femicide law to underscore existing laws. In
fact, international agencies have been encouraging countries to pass federal legislation on
violence against women and, more specifically, femicide.
Even though existing homicide laws provide some protection for women, the rationale for
creating femicide laws is that women deserve greater protections in order to account for gender-
based vulnerabilities, such as being attacked because they are women. For example, a woman
killed in the course of a home invasion is a victim of homicide. A woman killed during a
domestic violence incident is more likely a victim of a gender-based killing.

Ideally the laws outline specific penalties for violent crimes motivated by or due to the gender of
the victim. These penalties are typically stiffer than those under standing civil statutes for similar
crimes.

Femicide laws can also call for police investigations that specifically look at the role of gender in
the crime. This can make it easier to count femicides and increases the likelihood that such cases
will be prosecuted and adjudicated under violence-against-women statutes.

Members of feminist organizations hold a banner as they block the entrance to a police
headquarters, during a protest against the high rate of gender violence and femicides in
Nicaragua, in Managua, July 10 2014. The banner reads ‘Enough: No more femicides.’ Oswaldo
Rivas/Reuters
Nicaragua’s Law 779

Nicaragua Ley 779 (or Law 779) defines and criminalizes various types of violence against
women. The law has been nearly two decades in the making, with calls for reform of the penal
code dating back to 1996. Law 779 creates a way for victims to seek redress for crimes, and also
defines various forms of violence such as intimate partner violence, rape, femicide and specific
sanctions for each act. Nearly 90% of Nicaraguan women have experienced physical, sexual or
emotional violence in their lifetime.

In 2013 the law was revised to allow mediation between survivors and perpetrators of domestic
violence – a move that sparked protests from women’s groups in Nicaragua.

Following the passage of this federal femicide legislation in 2012, Nicaragua experienced an
increase in femicide. The Network of Women Against Violence reported that 76 cases of
femicide occurred in Nicaragua in 2011, while 85 cases were reported in 2012 – the year Law
779 was enacted and the year for which the most recent data are available.

It is unclear whether this increase represents better data collection on femicide or an increase in
femicide. Differentiating femicides from non-gender-based homicides is difficult and
complicates assessing the effectiveness of anti-femicide laws.

But what is becoming clear is that many women in Nicaragua feel that Law 779 is causing harm.

Why do women feel that Law 779 isn’t helping?

I, along with Roger Rochat and Samantha Luffy, both at Emory University, and local partners in
Nicaragua, conducted a study in 2014 exploring women’s perceptions of Law 779. We found
that women in Nicaragua believe the law was responsible for the increase in femicide.

Women perceived that the laws designed to protect them were actually causing harm to women
in their community. They also felt that men were reasoning that it was “advantageous” to commit
femicide, because they would be punished regardless of whether they beat their partners or killed
them, even though penalties for femicide are much greater than penalties for domestic violence.

One participant in the study stated:

The opinion of the men now is that they prefer to kill the woman instead of hitting her because
although they will go to jail for hitting her, they will also go to jail for killing her, so they say, ‘It
is better if I kill her.’ That is the opinion of the men now, young and old. I say it is awful how
lost the men are because those are their thoughts now – that is better to kill the woman….This
began because of Ley 779. The law started it.

Whether or not cases of femicide are increasing in Nicaragua, Law 779 is not effective if women
who are subjected to violence fear they’ll suffer more violence as a result of coming forward. If
that is the end result, then a law that intends to protect women from violence is not doing its job.
Further reesearch

At the moment I am conducting research in Brazil to determine the impact of new laws there and
the ways understanding about them trickles down to community level.

Data there also indicate an increase from 4,022 femicides per 100,000 in 2006, when the first
federal violence-against-woman law was passed, up to 4,762 in 2013.

Unfortunately, global data about femicides and the impact of these kinds of laws are hard to
come by because data are not routinely collected in a standardized way.

What needs to change for these laws to work?

To start, women need to understand their rights under the law, feel confident that their claims
will be taken seriously and crimes will be investigated.

And countries must go further to ensure that laws don’t just exist, but that they are adequately
enforced. They should communicate the purpose of the law to the agencies tasked with enforcing
them – such as national police and justice systems – to ensure that the systematic identification
of cases and enforcement actually takes place.

To ensure the usefulness of such laws, UN Women has developed a model protocol to guide the
enforcement of laws on femicide. The guide includes best practices for the investigation of
femicide cases in countries like Nicaragua and Brazil.

The general public must also what these laws are designed to do so that their intentions are not
misinterpreted at the community level by both men and women.

That more and more countries are passing femicide legislation is undoubtedly a sign that
awareness of violence against women is on the rise. Making sure that the intent and purpose of
these laws is communicated and enforced will go a long way toward ensuring that the
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women lives up to its intention.
Indigenous people are the native people in a territory. They have historical and cultural ties with
the land in which they live. Indigenous people maintain traditions that have been followed for
generations. They have survived through invasion and colonization while still maintaining their
values. They have a distinct culture, social institutions and religions. Indigenous people are
recognized by the United Nations. The United Nations has a Working Group that works on
finding ways to integrate indigenous people into society.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ARE OFTEN SUBJECT TO MARGINALIZATION

Indigenous people often face violence and are marginalized from society. There are a lot of
reported instances of violence on the indigenous peoples. For example, in southern Africa the
children of the San Ovahimba people and other Indigenous Peoples find it very hard to access
education. Some of the worst cases of violence have been seen against the Pygmies of Central
Africa. They are hunted from their habitat and eaten. This cruel act disregards all dignity and
treats human beings as animals. Forced labour is still prevalent when the indigenous people try to
take part in mainstream society.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE STILL FACE MANY ISSUES IN TODAY’S WORLD

According to the African Commission on Human and People’s rights the following are some of
the issues faced by these groups:

1. Their culture is threatened

2. They face discrimination as they cannot adapt to the modern way of life
3. They live in geographically isolated places and do not have access to amenities
4. Their interests are not included in the national policies

Social integration is very important. The indigenous people have interests in the land they live in.
They usually engage in farming and hunting-gathering activities. Often decisions on the land are
taken without the consent of the people. The people are not provided with alternatives and often
just financial compensation for the emotional, geographic and cultural losses suffered by them.

HOW CULTURE CAN BE PRESERVED

In many parts of Africa, the situation is changing. For example, in East Africa, the indigenous
populations have gotten together with the civil society and are directly participating in policy
decisions that affect them. In Kenya, the Pastoralist Development Network of Kenya and in
Tanzania, the Tanzania Pastoralist and Hunter Gatherer Organization have grown in strength to
voice policy concerns of indigenous people. This level of integration into society is significantly
less in West Africa.

GIVING RIGHTS TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IS NOT ABOUT SPECIAL RIGHTS

It is often suggested that giving rights to indigenous people in some ways is giving them special
rights. However, this is not the case. Indigenous people are discriminated based on their ethnicity
and by giving them rights, the state recognizes their importance in society.
Under the African Charter of Human Rights, all people have a right to culture and identity. This
is a very unique right that shows the importance of collective identity in African society.
Indigenous people have a distinct cultural identity which has strong ties with nature. Their
practices are in a way practices that preserve nature.

They must be included in society and dialogue can help include them into society. This will
ensure that they have rights under the law and that they are free from discrimination.

WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT AND THAT NEEDS TO BE CHERISHED

We live in a multicultural world. Africa is culturally the most diverse continent in the world.
Every tribe has a different tradition and this diversity is a matter of pride. We must remember
that the bonds that unite us are stronger than the walls that divide us. We must celebrate the
diversity around us. It is this diversity that makes us unique and makes our world so much richer.