Modern Challenges in International Law and Indigenous Rights: The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Women's Activism, and the Issue of Violence Against Indigenous Women

Historically, Indigenous women have been the target of violence at an alarming rate compared to the non-Indigenous population. This work explores how Indigenous women have used the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) to call for the end of this abuse. The United S...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Francesca Gottardi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Trento Student Law Review Association 2020-11-01
Series:Trento Student Law Review
Subjects:
Online Access:https://teseo.unitn.it/tslr/article/view/721
_version_ 1818916790596534272
author Francesca Gottardi
author_facet Francesca Gottardi
author_sort Francesca Gottardi
collection DOAJ
description Historically, Indigenous women have been the target of violence at an alarming rate compared to the non-Indigenous population. This work explores how Indigenous women have used the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) to call for the end of this abuse. The United States and Canada are two North American Federal governments with a strong presence of Indigenous Peoples. Even though Canada and the United States have signed UNDRIP, in North America as many as four in five Indigenous women experience violence in their lifetime. This work looks at how and why there is still such a significant rate of violence against Indigenous women in the U.S. and Canada. In addition, this article surveys the current extent of Indigenous women's participation in the policymaking process. It then explores what changes in law and policy should flow from Indigenous women's activism and in what ways Indigenous women can and should become more involved in the decision-making process. This work also aims to reflect on how the law and policies in the U.S., in Canada and at an international level could more efficiently address the issue. Indigenous women have historically been absent from the decision-making process and even when they are given a voice and their rights are emphasized, for instance with UNDRIP, countries are not complying with their responsibilities on the matter. Consequently, Indigenous women are de facto denied the possibility to participate in the debate, and their claims are left unheard. This article concludes that they should be empowered to advocate for enhanced accountability of the individual countries and the international community alike. In fact, increased participation of Indigenous women in the decision-making process increases the opportunity for Indigenous voices to be heard, in a quest to fight the widespread issue of violence against Indigenous women.
first_indexed 2024-12-20T00:23:46Z
format Article
id doaj.art-ddc8f53e1d0e48f88b4cc539855fb2f3
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2612-4874
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-20T00:23:46Z
publishDate 2020-11-01
publisher Trento Student Law Review Association
record_format Article
series Trento Student Law Review
spelling doaj.art-ddc8f53e1d0e48f88b4cc539855fb2f32022-12-21T20:00:08ZengTrento Student Law Review AssociationTrento Student Law Review2612-48742020-11-012293120142Modern Challenges in International Law and Indigenous Rights: The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Women's Activism, and the Issue of Violence Against Indigenous WomenFrancesca GottardiHistorically, Indigenous women have been the target of violence at an alarming rate compared to the non-Indigenous population. This work explores how Indigenous women have used the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) to call for the end of this abuse. The United States and Canada are two North American Federal governments with a strong presence of Indigenous Peoples. Even though Canada and the United States have signed UNDRIP, in North America as many as four in five Indigenous women experience violence in their lifetime. This work looks at how and why there is still such a significant rate of violence against Indigenous women in the U.S. and Canada. In addition, this article surveys the current extent of Indigenous women's participation in the policymaking process. It then explores what changes in law and policy should flow from Indigenous women's activism and in what ways Indigenous women can and should become more involved in the decision-making process. This work also aims to reflect on how the law and policies in the U.S., in Canada and at an international level could more efficiently address the issue. Indigenous women have historically been absent from the decision-making process and even when they are given a voice and their rights are emphasized, for instance with UNDRIP, countries are not complying with their responsibilities on the matter. Consequently, Indigenous women are de facto denied the possibility to participate in the debate, and their claims are left unheard. This article concludes that they should be empowered to advocate for enhanced accountability of the individual countries and the international community alike. In fact, increased participation of Indigenous women in the decision-making process increases the opportunity for Indigenous voices to be heard, in a quest to fight the widespread issue of violence against Indigenous women.https://teseo.unitn.it/tslr/article/view/721international lawinternational human rightsindigenous rightsfeminist international politicsviolence against indigenous women.
spellingShingle Francesca Gottardi
Modern Challenges in International Law and Indigenous Rights: The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Women's Activism, and the Issue of Violence Against Indigenous Women
Trento Student Law Review
international law
international human rights
indigenous rights
feminist international politics
violence against indigenous women.
title Modern Challenges in International Law and Indigenous Rights: The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Women's Activism, and the Issue of Violence Against Indigenous Women
title_full Modern Challenges in International Law and Indigenous Rights: The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Women's Activism, and the Issue of Violence Against Indigenous Women
title_fullStr Modern Challenges in International Law and Indigenous Rights: The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Women's Activism, and the Issue of Violence Against Indigenous Women
title_full_unstemmed Modern Challenges in International Law and Indigenous Rights: The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Women's Activism, and the Issue of Violence Against Indigenous Women
title_short Modern Challenges in International Law and Indigenous Rights: The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Women's Activism, and the Issue of Violence Against Indigenous Women
title_sort modern challenges in international law and indigenous rights the united nations declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples indigenous women s activism and the issue of violence against indigenous women
topic international law
international human rights
indigenous rights
feminist international politics
violence against indigenous women.
url https://teseo.unitn.it/tslr/article/view/721
work_keys_str_mv AT francescagottardi modernchallengesininternationallawandindigenousrightstheunitednationsdeclarationontherightsofindigenouspeoplesindigenouswomensactivismandtheissueofviolenceagainstindigenouswomen