On September 5th another year was commemorated to the institution of the International Day of Indigenous Women, a day little known, but which has been taken up by various social and indigenous organizations, to pay tribute, first to the warrior Bartolina Sisa, and second to all women who struggle anonymously every day to take their families forward and thus their community and region. This day also serves to commemorate the importance of women, privileged carriers of cultural heritage, because they teach the native language to their children, thus becoming the means for survival and preservation of life of Indigenous Peoples.
I join in that tribute and take this time to acknowledge the women who go before us and who path the way, as does companion Raquel and those who accompany her, to provide us with opportunities and challenges to build our identity as women, as indigenous persons and as part of a whole peoples.
Indigenous women are like a cob of corn, consisting of a variety of kernels that vary in shape and colour, some more intense than others, but ultimately part of the same trunk. This is how we are as women and how we want to be considered, with different cultural backgrounds but with the2 same root – as indigenous women. Although we form part of a planting field, we are all part of the same sowing ground.
Recently, I talked to a group of women in their 50 years, they said we can not imagine woman alone as isolated beings, independent of her environment, because our culture has taught us that we are part of the whole of life itself and the environment around us; as such our changes affect our environment and environmental change affects us.
In this sense, it is necessary to promote respect, to seek a full life for indigenous women, create conditions for their participation in the definition of her people’s life and pave the way for the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights; it is well known that the welfare of a woman is the welfare of the family and the community. This means that we are not fighting for women as individuals, but rather seeking to provide equal opportunities for participation and development, as only then, can we grow and participate equally as men and women.
Today we find ourselves at the 3rd Andean-Mesoamerican Conference talking about this same topic, the situation of women in relation to the indigenous movement, I share with you some common questions, such as: Is it possible to fight for the vindication of the rights of women within the indigenous movement?3
It is known by many that the survival of our people is due in large part to the anonymous and tenacious struggle of indigenous women, who transmit to new generations the permanence of community values in the field and in the city, and who lead the fight against poverty, hunger and social exclusion.
In communities where men migrate, women become the heads of families, the main breadwinners, community leaders, committee members, etc. They go onto play roles that generate new challenges and burdens, nonetheless they have been able to get ahead, become stronger, and learn new tasks that allow them to be more enterprising and better managers, because with ten pesos they must feed their daughters and sons, and so they themselves say, when they place us as municipal treasurers, we take better care of the money, we do the job well because we know that the money is not ours, but what we care for it as if it were, as it is the people’s and we are part of the people.
At the root of our culture women were considered goddess, she was the healer, the intermediary between the spiritual and the earthly, however the times of the conquistador forced the people to change their ways of relating, they were imposed a god and a control structure, their lands were take and they were forced to migrate, they had to sell their labour to get money in return for their livelihood. Therefore, as woman stayed at home and4 her work could not be paid in money, it was worth less than that of those who worked outside the home.
Over the years, the important role women had had in the beginning, was relegated to the background by the imposition of new forms of organization and thought, based on the accumulation of property and wealth. However, from the struggle for the vindication of indigenous peoples, which began to be primarily male, struggling for autonomy and self-determination in their land and territory, allowed women, who were mainly logistical support, to meet and talk in the corridors, the registry tables or kitchens. Most of these women did not know of the feminist movement, of Western origin, that defended the rights of women; and when they learned of its existence, they were not convinced of their approach neither, because despite their struggle for the rights of women, their understandings of woman did not coincide, because while indigenous cultures put women in relation to others, the feminist movement places her as self, as an individual being with a focus on her own feelings, regardless of the environment.
We know that the agenda of the national feminist movement is based on calls for sexual and reproductive rights, voluntary motherhood, political participation, the fight against sexual and domestic violence and sexual diversity rights, some of these demands are shared5 by the indigenous women’s movement, such as the struggle for a life without violence, respect for reproductive rights and the right to community participation, also adding demands for economic and cultural rights.
At this point it seems appropriate to cite Aida Hernandez, who shares in a publication, that indigenous women have served as “a bridge between an indigenous movement that refuses to acknowledge its sexism and a feminist movement that refuses to recognize its ethnocentrism.” (Rodriguez 28:2)
Recalling the question of whether it is possible to fight for the vindication of the rights of women within the indigenous movement. We can assume that if we deny the existence of internal problems, there is no opportunity to attend to these problems or find solutions. In this regard, indigenous women have reported in various areas the need to vindicate the historical and changing character of their cultures, while rejecting the “traditions and customs” that undermine their dignity. This is a double struggle, claiming against the state the right to be people and within their communities the right to a dignified and equitable life.
It is known that in many indigenous communities the participation of women in political assemblies and posts is not permitted, a fact that has been used by political parties to indicate that it needs to put to an end to indigenous “traditions and customs” because they denigrate the dignity of women. They promote that systems be put in place to elect political parties, as if the town’s life depended only on elections. In addition, reality has shown that where political parties enter into government, the people are divided and violence increases to a degree that generates massacres, where those who end up paying are the innocent.
This situation is very clear to indigenous women who are determined that their struggle not be isolated from the struggle of indigenous peoples, for only collectively, can they take a common front against external attacks, which in recent days has shown its face through political parties.
In this regard, we reiterate our question, is it possible to consider the struggle of indigenous women within the indigenous movement? I have confidence that this is possible, what is needed is to work on the mechanisms, strategies, ways, and means to generate the conditions where this can be specifically addressed by women themselves; taking into account that the needs of these women are different to those of men, and unlike those of other women who are not indigenous.
I feel the approach of indigenous women are well summarized in the phrase “change and continue (existing, ie not disappearing), and continue changing” as it is knows that to achieve equitable access to justice and participation within the community, there is still a long way to go, but progress is being made. That is why we say: we do not want our own way of organising to disappear,7 by pointing out their weaknesses we strengthen our vision and contribution as indigenous women.
It is also, as one cultural advocate has stated: not to grab everything from outside and finish off with what is ours, but to begin from our roots, our strengths, that we may provide what is positive to other cultures and of course to take from other cultures advances that may strengthen our own.
This involves, as some of our women leaders have said, to challenge the negative practices of our people with the rights we have won today; such is the case regarding the participation of indigenous women, where we try to maintain the rights of indigenous peoples, by reconciling traditional customs, the State and the rights of women.
It is about, as Blance Chancosa, Kichwa of Ecuador, leader of the Confederation of the Peoples of Ecuador, telling men that today, without us indigenous women it is impossible to advance in the new changes we are looking for from the world.
Although zapatismo led to opportunities for reflection and organization for indigenous women, it is not possible to understand the recent movements of indigenous women, without considering their experiences in indigenous and peasant struggles of the past two decades. Especially in the 70s feminist organizations began to develop their work in communities to promote gender awareness among indigenous women.8
It is important to consider that the participation of indigenous women began in various areas, we speak about being catechist of the church, where they recognized their ability to guide and lost their fear of speaking in front of groups, and they began to lose fear also when they undertook on the role of promoter of government programs, as in the case of Oportunidades, where it was required of them to have a little more knowledge on the issue of violence against women and to serve as translators for women who Spanish was not their first language.
In school committees where she had to run a meeting, or represent her neighbourhood in negotiation with the municipal authorities; in productive projects where she saw the need to organize herself in order to bring home some extra money because the salary of her husband was no longer enough; in better times, accompanying some leader to meetings or courses; also as a traditional healer, now beginning to be fashionable among others.
It has been a complex process creating spaces within mixed organisation, to ensure the participation of women in decision-making, in developing training, in supporting empowerment, in encouraging them to take on management roles or simply to have them recognised as equals. The conditions have not always been the most favourable, and patriarchal culture so rooted, has even permeated social organizations. (BERRÍO. 2009:3)
However, advances in women’s participation, as the special report on indigenous women in Lima, indicates that today indigenous women are “leaders of their own organizations, councillors, mayors, deputies, ministers, but they themselves feel they have much further to go, and that training is the key”, to acquire further leadership skills and expertise in the field.
In this sense they have become more articulate, have formed alliances and together have organized various opportunities for exchange and training aimed at strengthening their leadership at the community and regional levels, with support from academic institutions, and social organizations, among others.
So women’s organizations have begun work on building their own agenda, as Aida Hernandez says, “from a culturally situated gender perspective, which questions both sexism and essentialism of indigenous organizations, and the ethnocentricity of hegemonic feminism.”
Recommendations
From the above facts it is necessary to start drawing some lines that can contribute both to action and discourse:
1. In order to advance, it will be necessary to recover the community values of our peoples, such as spirituality, that will nourish the understanding of gender and from this develop opportunities for equality.
2. As part of recovering the language and community values of our people we need to start naming ourselves from our reality, using some concepts from native language, for example, nixem niyäm: being part of a whole, with you and with us; or nawyïntsë’ëkë: mutual respect, the gift for your presence; or tapajä’äwënyäx: putting myself in your place and understanding you from your reality.
3. To continue challenging negative practices affecting the dignity of women and make proposals for improvement.
4. Recall the stories from oral history, that encourage the recognition of the value of women within our own worldviews. If women create life, are healer or artists, then why allow them to be beaten? What should men who are already aware of these issues do to contribute to the reduction of violence against women?
5. No more delay the issue of gender in indigenous movements.
6. The recognition of indigenous rights must be in accordance with the rights of women, hence the need to continue to create spaces for their participation in decision-making.
7. Remind our colleagues that if the existence of internal problems is denied, we have no opportunity to confront and find solutions to them.
8. Rewrite our stories from oral tradition where the value and integrity of women is recognised and not allow indigenous woman to remain invisible.
9. Among indigenous cultures themselves promote opportunities for knowledge exchange regarding activities addressing violence against women and mechanisms to reduce it, and examples of successful participation of women in mixed spaces in communities.
10. Continue opportunities for exchange and reflection that allow for the thoughts, feelings and actions of women to be heard in regards to new challenges and systematize their knowledge to create new discourses and nurture the indigenous movement, particularly of women.
11. Equity must be achieved in all areas and continue as an ongoing battle that accumulates greater equity for women, but also to share this further along with men and all others.
12. Exchange of experiences among indigenous women’s movement, with male leaders of indigenous movements, to look at similarities and differences and work on them to establish common ground to strengthen both the rights of women and peoples as a whole.
13. “We rely on the skills, knowledge, wisdom and community commitment of women to participate actively in the life of our peoples, regions and state”.
Part of the recommendations from the first State Meeting of Indigenous Women of Oaxaca delivered on September 27, 2011, as part of the 3rd Andean-Mesoamerican Conference in Mexico City, September 29, 2011.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
HERNÁNDEZ CASTILLO A. (octubre 2000). “Entre el etnocentrismo feminista y el esencialismo étnico. Las mujeres indígenas y sus demandas de género”. Debate Feminista Año 12, Vol. 24, pág. 1-28.
COMUNICACIONES ALIADAS. (Junio 2010) “Mujeres Indígenas a la conquista de sus derechos”. Noticias aliadas, informe especial, pág 1-20.
BERRÍO PALOMO R. (2009) “Balance crítico sobre las luchas de las mujeres Indígenas”. Estado del Desarrollo Económico y social de los pueblos indígenas de Guerrero, Programa Universitario México Nación Multicultural, UNAM SAI-Guerrero pág 1-8
