11 Latin American leaders strengthen their capacities in Ecuador

11 Latin American leaders strengthen their capacities in Ecuador

Images from a conference held at the end of October in Quito, Ecuador, which brought together 11 leaders from Costa Rica, Panama, Peru and Uruguay, who shared their experiences and strengthened their capacities during a series of training sessions facilitated by FLACSO Ecuador, which addressed topics such as human rights in the region and the main challenges facing Latin America. 

This meeting, which took place within the framework of the project ‘Empowerment of emerging leaders’ carried out by Race and Equality, brought together a total of 10 independent civil society organizations, such as the Asociación Panameña de Debate (ASPADE), the Fundación Arias para la Paz y el Progreso Humano, the Fundación Mujer, the Fundación Convive Panamá, the Organización Social Salvador, the Unión Trans, the Centro de Promoción Social (CERPROS), the Centro de Desarrollo de la Mujer Negra Peruana, Mujeres Rímenses, and the Fraternidad Trans Masculina Perú. 

In Cuba, Extreme Poverty Mainly Affects People of African Descent on the Island

Bogota, October 30, 2024 – “Cuba is not as they tell you,” warns Yaxys Cires, Director of Strategy for the Observatorio Cubano de Derechos Humanos (OCDH), the independent Cuban civil society organization, which published in July 2024 the seventh report on social rights in this country, revealing that extreme poverty on the island had climbed to 89%.

The lawyer, a native of the Cuban province of Pinar del Río, explains each of the findings that show how the lack of resources mainly affects people of African descent in Cuba. “Of the total sample (1,148 surveys), 61% said they had problems buying the most essential things to survive, while in the Afro-Cuban population the figure stands at 68%,” he says.

Twelve percent said they were unemployed, a reality that affects 15% of the Afro-Cuban people surveyed. It was also reported that eight out of ten Afro-descendants who took part in this study stated that they had stopped eating breakfast, lunch or dinner, a situation that affected seven out of ten white or mestizo people in this report.

On the other hand, 92% of Afro-Cubans disapproved of the public health service; and 81% said they did not receive remittances, a figure higher than the 71% of white people who indicated that they did not obtain this type of income from relatives living outside the Island either. “Undoubtedly, they have less support to face the harsh reality of life in Cuba,” adds Cires.

The findings evidencing how extreme poverty mainly affects people of African descent in Cuba had already been recorded in 2023, in the sixth OCDH report on social rights in this country. At that time, 21% of Afro-Cubans said they resided in housing in danger of collapse, a figure that contrasts with 15% of the total number of people consulted (1,353), who said they were in the same situation.

This survey also revealed that 23% of Afro-descendants lacked permanent drinking water service, a reality that affected 17% of the total number of those who participated in last year’s study.

The findings of the Observatorio Cubano de Derechos Humanos show that Afro-Cubans in Cuba have greater difficulties in finding a job, feeding themselves, accessing potable water, and owning decent housing, compared to other population groups in the same country. “The situation of Afro-Cubans is very precarious; they live in unhealthy areas, have the lowest salaries, and little schooling,” says Eroises González, an Afro-Cuban woman from Havana who coordinates the organization Plataforma Femenina.

Another Havana woman of African descent in Cuba, Laritza Diversent, who heads the NGO Cubalex, says that these human rights violations are, more often than not, naturalized by civil society itself. “Racial discrimination, for example, is not a priority issue, so we don’t go there to do these studies, to identify these behaviors,” she adds.

Population Census

According to the expert on the rights of Afro-descendants, Afro-Uruguayan Noelia Maciel, the OCDH figures show the systemic racism that exists in Cuba, “and has been present throughout the socialist process.”

“These inequalities are reflected in the lack of access to employment, inequalities in educational levels, the non-receipt of remittances, which is what sustains daily life on the island, and also in the migratory processes. Afro populations are the ones that have more barriers to leave the country,” says Maciel, who also affirms that in the last population census of the Island (in 2012), these inequities were not evident because the existence of differentiated ethnic-racial ascendancies was unknown, “denying how the racial component is a factor of vulnerability and obstacles to the exercise of rights.”

In 2022, the State of Cuba should have conducted a new population and housing census; however, this process was postponed to 2025. According to the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI), the delay was caused by the severe economic crisis suffered by this country.

“Cuba by self-definition is in a moment of war economy, and carrying out censuses is very costly, and even more so at this time when there are certain standards that are imposed at the regional level, such as making these processes in more electronic formats. But equally on the part of the Cuban State there is no interest in carrying out a census and beginning to make these inequalities visible, especially incorporating the recommendations made by international organizations, such as the incorporation of the term Afro-descendant (which represents people belonging to various cultures descended from the African population that survived the slave system, according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC),” says Maciel.

In the last population census of the island it was known that in 2012 this country had 11,167,325 inhabitants, including white, black, and mestizo people. However, in this statistical count no distinction was made between those who were black, mestizo, and mulatto, so it was not possible to establish who the Afro-descendants in Cuba were, nor what their actual housing conditions were.

Racial Profiling

The findings of the last two reports on social rights in Cuba show how extreme poverty affects the majority of the Cuban population, mainly people of African descent in this country, who in addition to lacking the essentials for survival, are also victims of prejudice on the part of Cuban authorities, who persecute, repress, harass and detain them “for the simple fact of being black people,” according to Diversent.

“The repression is also linked to the persecution of people of African descent for what is known as racial profiling,” adds Diversent, who maintains that an analysis by the organization Cubalex revealed that the Afro-Cubans convicted for having participated in the historic and massive protests of July 11, 2021, had received harsher sentences compared to the white people who took to the streets that day to demand their rights.

According to this document, black people “that the State classifies with ‘unfavorable conduct’ receive sanctions with an average duration of 13.02 years, while non-Afro-descendants, under the same classification, have average sanctions of 12.0 years.” This finding adds to the aforementioned figures, evidencing how this population survives on the Island.

“In 2009, I was a victim of racial profiling. On one occasion I was working in a tourism center and some Canadian guests wanted to know where to see and enjoy Cuban jazz, so I indicated ‘La zorra y el cuervo’ (a club located in El Vedado, Havana’s commercial area), but they asked me to accompany them. We went along the Malecon, continued walking and then some policemen arrived to ask me for my identification. They detained me right there, put me in a patrol car, and took me to a station until they felt like it. I could not accompany the tourists,” says Norberto Mesa, an Afro-Cuban activist who in 1998 founded the organization Cofradía de la Negritud (Brotherhood of Blackness), a citizen project that emerged with the purpose of fighting discrimination and structural racism in this country.

The Pinareño (from the province of Pinar del Río) and human rights defender affirms that these types of situations continue to occur in Cuba, and adds that the Afro-Cuban population in penitentiary centers is much larger in comparison with other population groups. He also says that there is racial discrimination in the workplace, and very little representation of black people in micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

Unfulfilled Recommendations

In 2018, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD or the Committee), adopted its concluding observations after examining the national report submitted at that time by the State of Cuba, on Afro-Cubans. The Committee noted, among other things, that the Afro-descendant population continued to be “victims of racism and structural discrimination, as a product of the historical legacy of slavery,” which manifested itself “in the inequality gap” related to the economic, social, and cultural rights of this population, in comparison with the rest.

CERD registered several concerns about the census, the situation of defenders of the rights of the Afro-Cuban population, racial discrimination, access to justice, excessive use of force, racial stereotypes, and the non-recognition of this type of violence by the State. These problems are still latent in Cuba, and are reflected in the findings released by the OCDH, and in the analysis conducted by Cubalex.

The body of independent experts that oversees the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination also made a series of recommendations to the State that aim to allow more people to self-recognize themselves as Afro-descendants, to know how black people really live on the island, and to combat inequality, which, after six years of this document, is still prevailing.

According to Maciel, the State of Cuba should present an official report on the implementation of the CERD recommendations in 2025, due to the delay of the review schedule by countries, which resulted fromthe Covid-19 pandemic.

The conclusions found by the Observatorio Cubano de Derechos Humanos and the analysis conducted by Cubalex, also evidence that the authorities of this country have not met the objectives of the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024), which focus on the recognition, justice, and development of this population.

“Cuba, like most Latin American countries, the countries of the diaspora, have done very little during the decade.There have been no plans to create differentiated public policies. In the case of the island, there is a particular problem, and that is that they deny racial discrimination. So the government, by denying racial discrimination, evidently does not raise the need for differentiated public policies,” says Carlos Quesada, director of the Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality), who adds that the decade proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly will end on December 31, 2024.

The figures of the last two OCDH reports also reveal, according to Quesada, how structural racism in this country has prevented the Afro-Cuban population from being able to climb or access a slightly higher social ladder, including, for example, the engine of the national economy, which is tourism. “Cuba, in terms of the fight against racial discrimination is at least seventy years behind all Latin American countries, including the United States,” adds the Costa Rican lawyer and journalist.

As Cires mentioned at the beginning of this article, the reality of people of African descent in Cuba is not as Cuban authorities tell it; in their daily lives they face discrimination and violence in various forms.

The last census does not recognize people of African descent in their totality, and as documented in the recommendations of the CERD, the existence of racial discrimination is denied on the island; even though there are activists and human rights defenders denouncing the precarious conditions in which the Afro-Cuban population lives, and despite the publication of reports, such as those of the OCDH, and analyses, such as the one conducted by Cubalex, which show a reality opposite to that described by the State.

Race and Equality echoes the findings that reveal racism and structural discrimination in Cuba, and we request that the Cuban State recognize these inequalities, promote actions that allow the self-recognition of Afro-Cubans, and create public policies aimed at improving the living conditions of this population, and to combat poverty, social exclusion and marginalization, which disproportionately affect Afro-Cubans.



In the face of the rise of the extreme right in Latin America and the Caribbean, Afro-Latino, Indigenous and LGBTI+ leaders held advocacy meetings in Washington D.C.

Washington D.C., October 16, 2024 – In the face of the growing influence of far-right movements and the worrying advance of racist and xenophobic agendas in Latin America and the Caribbean, a delegation of Afro-Latino, Indigenous, and LGBTI+ leaders, led by the Institute on Race, Equality, and Human Rights (Race and Equality), held key advocacy meetings in Washington D.C. with the U.S. Congress, the Department of State and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. During these meetings, the delegation presented critical perspectives on problems such as racial and gender discrimination, police brutality and the systematic lack of access to essential services such as health and education. 

The delegation also presented recommendations to promote the formulation and integration of more inclusive and equitable policies in key frameworks such as the Joint Plan of Action for Racial and Ethnic Equality (JAPER), the Plan for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in the Americas (CAPREE), and the North American Declaration of Partnership for Racial Equity and Justice.  

During the meetings, Mauricio Ye’kwana, Executive Director of Hutukara, addressed the crisis of violence facing indigenous territories in Brazil, highlighting the constant threats arising from illegal mining exploitation and the lack of government recognition of their ancestral lands. Ye’kwana pointed to the government’s neglect to protect them and the impunity surrounding the killings of indigenous leaders. He also warned about the concerning recruitment of indigenous youth into armed groups, which weakens community unity. In addition, he made an urgent call for indigenous representation in international forums such as the COP, emphasizing the need to recognize their rights, both individual and collective, in the defense of territory and the environment. 

Bruna Benevides, President of the National Association of Transvestites and Transsexuals (ANTRA), of Brazil, exposed the human rights violations faced by trans women, especially black trans women. Benevides noted that the racial component of transfemicide is deeply rooted in Brazilian society, and that black trans women are disproportionately affected by violence and exclusion. Benevides also emphasized the lack of representation of trans people in anti-racist movements and that the invisibilization of their issues within LGBTQ+ spaces is a key concern.  

For her part, Lucía Xavier, Executive Director of CRIOLA (Brazil) warned about a conservative wave that has spread through Brazil and that significantly increased violence against black women, both cis and trans, who face multiple barriers to accessing basic resources due to discriminatory financing policies. Xavier called for greater political representation of Black women, as well as effective public policies that protect their rights and promote their well-being. 

María Martínez, of the Socio-Cultural Movement of Haitian Workers (MOSCTHA), denounced the constant threat of expulsion and police brutality suffered by Haitian migrants in the Dominican Republic. The Dominican government’s recent policy of deporting 10,000 Haitians per week has exacerbated the discrimination and structural racism already suffered by these communities, with Haitian women being particularly vulnerable to gender-based violence. Martínez also explained that the lack of civil recognition and the situation of statelessness exclude these people from access to basic services such as health and education.  

Erlendy Cuero, vice president of the National Association of Displaced Afro-Colombians (AFRODES) of Colombia, warned about the difficult situation of Afro-descendant youth in Colombia, particularly affected by violence and armed conflict. Racial discrimination by security forces has resulted in an alarming increase in homicides and enforced disappearances of young Afro-Colombians, who are frequently stigmatized and treated as suspects only because of their skin color.  

Sandra Arizabaleta, Director of the Afro-descendant Foundation for Social and Sexual Diversities “Somos Identidad” (Colombia) explained how political polarization in Colombia has exacerbated violence and discrimination against Afro-descendant and LGBTI+ people. For Arizabaleta, it is urgent to create public policies that effectively address the intersectionality between race, gender, and sexual orientation, something that is currently absent in Colombian political discourse. She also denounced the violence that still persists on the part of armed groups against these vulnerable populations. 

Cecilia Ramírez, Executive Director of the Center for the Development of Peruvian Black Women (CEDEMUNEP), Peru explained that the Afro-Peruvian development plan, which was designed to improve the conditions of these communities, has stalled due to a lack of financial resources and technical support. Ramírez also emphasized how structural racism continues to be an obstacle to the social and economic progress of people of African descent in Peru, who continue to have the worst socioeconomic indicators. She proposed the implementation of ethnic quotas to ensure the political representation of Afro-descendants and indigenous people, and emphasized the need for more inclusive self-identification processes that consider both gender and ethnicity. 

Patricia Torres Sandoval, Representative of the Continental Link of Indigenous Women of the Americas (ECMIA), focused her intervention on violence against indigenous women and girls, emphasizing how this situation is aggravated by the structural violence that comes from racism, poverty and colonialism. She also underscored the devastating impact of extractive activities in the region, which not only cause environmental destruction, but also deepen poverty and social exclusion of indigenous communities, intensifying violence against women. Torres stressed that the lack of political will and the ineffective implementation of international agreements contribute to the marginalization and exclusion of these communities, which requires urgent and sustained attention. 

Finally, the leaders presented a series of key recommendations to the authorities, focused on strengthening representation, promoting inclusive policies and ensuring accountability: 

  • Fund programs that promote the leadership and political participation among Afro-Latino, Indigenous, and LGBTQ+ communities in Latin America and the Caribbean. 
  • Urge Latin American and Caribbean governments to adopt legislation that protects marginalized communities while promoting anti-racist and anti-discrimination policies based on SOGIESC, incorporating an intersectional approach. 
  • Implement effectively bilateral and trilateral agreements focused on addressing violence against marginalized populations, including Indigenous and Black women, like JAPER, CAPREE and North American Declaration on Partnership for Equity and Racial Justice. 
  • Facilitate dialogue between governments and civil society to improve transparency in human rights monitoring and ensure accountability for those responsible for human rights abuses.

Race and Equality strongly supports these recommendations and reaffirms its commitment to continue accompanying these leaders in promoting their voices before government agencies and other advocacy spaces. It will also continue to work on documenting human rights violations and building proposals that foster more inclusive, equitable, and respectful societies. 

 

Political Representation of People of African Descent, a Key Step in the Fight Against Systemic Racism

Washington, DC; August 31, 2024.– Promoting the human rights and fundamental freedoms of people of African descent, as well as combating systemic racism, also implies facing the crisis of political representation and working for more inclusive democracy. Under this premise, the Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) commemorates this International Day of People of African Descent by highlighting their right to political participation, especially of Afro-descendant women, and emphasizing the recommendations of activists from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Honduras.

The International Day of People of African Descent focuses on celebrating the contributions of the African diaspora at the global level and eradicating all forms of discrimination against people of African descent. This day was declared by United Nations Resolution 75/170, on December 16, 2020, which was promoted by the then Vice-President of Costa Rica, Epsy Campbell Barr, through the Permanent Mission of Costa Rica to the United Nations in New York.

Defending the right to political participation of people of African descent not only includes guaranteeing their access to spaces of power, but also combating political violence that affects people of African descent, especially black and LBT women. For this reason, Race and Equality highlights the work of partner organizations that fight for more inclusive democracy with greater representation of the Afro-descendant population. Political participation is, after all, an inalienable human right.

Quota Allocation

Lins Robalo, an Afro-descendant travesti, social worker, and activist with the Asociación Nacional de Travestis y Transexuales (ANTRA), in Brazil, emphasizes the importance of political parties assigning quotas for candidacies of black people, which she believes should go hand in hand with the allocation of resources to promote their candidacies. “Racism directly affects black incomes. As a result, black candidates have less money to run for election, which reinforces racial inequality,” she says.

“To improve the political representation of people of African descent, we need to have parity and an intercultural democracy,” says Milene Molina Arancibia, president of the organization Colectiva de Mujeres Afrodescendientes Luanda, from Chile. For her, the allocation of quotas should be for the Legislative Branch and in public entities from which it can influence to improve the lives of the population.

To the proposal to guarantee representation of people of African descent in candidacies and public entities, Bicky Bohórquez, from the organization Somos Identidad de Colombia, adds the responsibility of generational renewal, as a way of giving space to young Afro-descendants who nurture new ideas both in their collectives and in the spaces where they achieve representation. “So that the diversity we have as a population is evident,” she says.

Meanwhile, Nedelka Lacayo, of the Enlace de Mujeres Negras de Honduras (ENMUEH), stresses that, above all, States must offer guarantees of representative democracy and ensure that people of African descent fully exercise their citizenship rights, with equal opportunities.

Beyond Occupying Positions

Systemic racism manifests itself in multiple ways, and in the case of the political sphere, the occupation of public office by people of African descent is not enough to combat it, as this effort must be accompanied by processes of decolonization and awareness so that the needs and demands of this population are taken into account.

Racism, and the legacies of racism, exist to the extent that they benefit a section of the population and help maintain white privilege. In other words, they allow a part of the population to have access to land, and education, and contribute to consolidating economic and political differences within a nation.

“When you’re a Black and trans person, all your knowledge and work history is still considered inferior to that of a white, cisgender person with the same knowledge, or even less education. That is why it is always necessary to offer training opportunities specifically aimed at black and trans people, to contribute to the theoretical arsenal of minority groups,” says Brazilian activist Lins Robalo.

For Chilean activist Milene Molina Arancibia, as long as people of African descent do not occupy decision-making spaces, there will continue to be a lack of public policies aimed at improving the lives of the population and, therefore, inequality and racial discrimination will continue to be present in societies.

It should be recognized that in some Latin American countries, there have been efforts to move towards the political representation of people of African descent; however, in many cases, these systems are not proportional to the black population or do not transcend the discursive level.

In Uruguay, for example, despite being considered one of the most advanced democracies in Latin America, the inclusion of people of African descent in public office remains limited. Although the country passed a quota law more than a decade ago, black women’s representation in parliament and executive positions remains low. This reflects the structural challenges that black women face in accessing positions of power.

In Colombia, the situation is similar. The centralization of power and structural barriers have left many black women, especially those in rural regions, out of the political system. The representation of black women in elected offices is minimal, constituting less than 1%. It was not until the election of Francia Márquez that the issues of black communities, and in particular black women, began to be recognized and addressed on the political agenda.

Finally, we echo international standards on the right of all people to participate in public affairs without discrimination. The United Nations Human Rights Committee has stressed that States should:

– Protect political candidates, especially women, people of African descent, indigenous people, and LGBTI people, from violence, harassment, and intimidation. This includes investigating and prosecuting cases, ensuring that those responsible are held accountable, as in the case of Marielle Franco, and providing adequate remedies to victims.

– Intensify efforts to achieve the full and equal participation of these groups in political and public life, especially in decision-making positions.

Meanwhile, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) also recommends that States adopt measures to combat illiteracy and ensure that all citizens enjoy their political rights, including the right to be elected to public office.

Visit of the UN Rapporteur on Racism to Brazil: Systemic racism and violence against women from racial and ethnic groups are the highlights of her report

Brazil, September 02, 2024 – “Systemic racism demands systemic responses.” This approach was emphasized by Ashiwini K.P., United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, during her press conference where she presented the preliminary conclusions following her visit to Brazil. Between August 5 and 16, the Rapporteur visited Brasília, Salvador, São Luís, São Paulo, Florianópolis, and Rio de Janeiro, where she met with authorities of the Federal Executive Branch and state governments, as well as with various Black, Indigenous, Quilombola, and Roma organizations.

In preparation for the visit, the Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality), together with the Institute for Development and Human Rights (IDDH), organized a virtual training with civil society organizations to support them in preparing documents with recommendations that would be delivered to the Rapporteur. In addition, the scope and objectives of the visit were presented in the training to guide them in dialogue and advocacy actions before this UN special procedure.

“The visit of the Rapporteur on racism takes place at an important moment for the country, after all, we are in an election year and advocating for intersectional public policies. From our perspective, we highlight the importance of providing Brazilian organizations with a relationship between the UN and the government, because based on the report that will be presented, the State must commit to implementing reparations in matters of racism”; highlights Rodnei Jericó da Silva, Director of Race and Equality in Brazil.

 Preliminary Findings: Highlights

Race and Equality presents some of the key points of the preliminary conclusions highlighted by the Rapporteur regarding her experience in the country, which will be presented in the final report to the United Nations Human Rights Council in June 2025. This report will be delivered to the Brazilian government, which, as a member state of the UN, accepted the official visit as a way of evaluating its public policies.

In this sense, Ashiwini K.P. stressed that she identified positive points in some government actions, such as the recognition of racism as a systemic phenomenon; the creation of the Ministry of Racial Equality, the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, and the Secretariat of Roma Peoples, within the Ministry of Racial Equality; sound affirmative policy proposals; and the existence of a health unit in Bahia for the treatment of sickle cell anemia. However, the Rapporteur emphasized that governmental progress is advancing slowly, since, recognizing that the colonialist past generates an exclusion of groups marked by structural violence, Brazil must adopt a systemic approach to guarantee restorative justice.

The lack of disaggregated data is a major issue identified by the Special Rapporteur, particularly the absence of data on Roma people, LGBTI+ people, migrants, refugees, and people with disabilities, who face multiple intersecting forms of discrimination. She also points to the growth of neo-Nazi groups, especially in Santa Catarina, where she mentioned that there is an erasure of data on the issue. Furthermore, she emphasized that Brazil must ensure that research and public policies are supported by and created through consultation with groups in vulnerable situations.

Thus, its proposals include the establishment of an independent national human rights institution following the principles on the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (the Paris Principles), to monitor and implement anti-racist policies.

The Rapporteur emphasized that the indigenous and quilombola communities have faced numerous setbacks by the National Congress. In her criticisms, she highlighted the slowness of the State in the process of territorial demarcation of these communities; the seriousness of the time-frame thesis; environmental racism as a driver of exclusion and vulnerability; and the neglect of the health of these populations in the face of the advance of illegal mining (pesticides and urban diseases). She also expressed concern about the violence suffered by indigenous peoples and quilombolas, highlighting the recent Guaraní-Kaiowá case, in Mato Grosso do Sul, and other conflicts in Bahia. Therefore, the Rapporteur urged the Government to take an urgent position in the face of intimidation against indigenous peoples and quilombolas, warning of the seriousness of the resulting environmental violence, and that more forceful actions must be taken, in addition to emphasizing Brazil’s international commitment to Convention 169 of the International Labor Organization (ILO).

“A coordinated national plan for indigenous and quilombola affairs is necessary, as the protection of their lands is essential to address the climate crisis,” said Ashiwini K.P.

The understanding of religious racism as a practice that persecutes and reproduces violence against practitioners of African-based religions was one of the highlights of her conclusions. In this regard, the Rapporteur cited cases that came to her through civil society, such as private transport that refuses to take people in their religious clothing, the loss of custody of children by Axé women, and physical attacks organized against terreiros. In her opinion, she stressed that the State allows this type of misogynistic and racist practices and suggested that the government create a protection program to face this problem.

“Even if Dial 100 exists, the lack of investment by the state sends a message of impunity and that the government will not take any action against religious racism,” she said.

Regarding the situation of human rights defenders, the Rapporteur expressed her dismay at the seriousness of the threats and police brutality to which these groups are exposed. Although she acknowledged the importance of the creation of the Sales Pimenta Technical Working Group, to develop proposals for the National Policy and Plan for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, she highlighted the lack of resources for human rights and the effectiveness of those policies that already exist. In this way, she urged Brazil to implement the actions recommended by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, after she visited Brazil in April of this year.

Given the situation of black women and gender/sexual intersectionality, such as with LBT women, the Rapporteur emphasized the issues of precarious access to the health system and obstetric violence, the issue of domestic workers, sexual violence, and femicide that disproportionately impacts these women, with which she pondered the need for psychological guidance as a government public policy. The Rapporteur expressed great concern about the data presented that show that black women are more exposed to femicide, highlighting the violence that occurs against black lesbian and trans women. In addition, the criminalization of abortion was noted in their evaluation, in addition to the barriers faced by women who seek even legal abortion, in accordance with the Penal Code. In this regard, she emphasized her concern about the Constitutional Amendment Proposal 1904/2024, which increases the penalties for women who have abortions to up to 20 years in prison. At this point, the importance of the Government implementing the recommendations of the CEDAW Committee, which evaluated Brazil this year, to decriminalize abortion and guarantee safe access for all people, respecting women’s rights and bodily autonomy, was highlighted. Regarding the care economy, she also noted the economic exploitation suffered by domestic workers.

Regarding police violence, the Rapporteur pointed out that Afro-descendant mothers who lose their sons and daughters due to police brutality, in addition to being victims, are also criminalized.  Therefore, her report will emphasize the need for more effective measures to be taken against the prison system and, while acknowledging that the use of police cameras is an important step towards an anti-racist security policy, she pointed out that there are reports that these cameras are not used and that the government is using measures of racial discrimination without scientific basis. In this way, she urged the government to create laws on the use of artificial intelligence so that it is not used in a racist way.

The Special Rapporteur also highlighted spatial segregation, especially in large urban centers, which are mostly occupied by people of African descent and have poor access to infrastructure. In addition, she highlighted the lack of support for people living on the streets.

The advance of the extreme right and the growth of neo-Nazi cells was one of the points of extreme concern of the Rapporteur, who stressed that there is a denial by the state of Santa Catarina about these groups and that affirmative policies and actions must be implemented to strengthen local legislation to combat denialism. From this perspective, she also highlighted her concern about the lack of efforts of the Brazilian legislature in the face of bills that seek to roll back some of the rights already achieved.

Finally, she expressed concern about the growth of gender-based political violence and hate speech and urged the government to take careful measures in this area. She stressed that the low representation of vulnerable groups in decision-making spaces reflects systemic racism. In addition, this lack of representativeness can also be seen within the Judiciary.

Race and Equality thanks Ashiwini K.P. for her support and interest in the Rapporteurship’s commitment to promoting anti-racist and racial justice actions in Brazil. We highlight the importance of the recognition of religious racism as a discriminatory practice before an international human rights mechanism. We continue to fight for the defense and guarantee of human rights to confront the inequalities created by the racist system. The Brazilian State must commit itself to the demands for justice and equity of its population. A government whose proposal is “Union and Reconstruction” must have historical reparation as a priority.

Finally, we share some of the recommendations submitted to the Office of the Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance by Brazilian organizations:

  • Improvement of public policies for access to legal aid and support services for victims of domestic and familial violence, based on a survey of cases registered in recent years, to support and protect women victims of violence and racism (especially religious racism); among other actions, based on the collaboration of feminist groups, religious leaders, public managers, and experts on the subject.
  • Demand the implementation of the National Health Policy for the LGBTI+ Population through the creation of specialized health teams to meet the highly complex demands in the health of lesbian women;
  • Recommend that the Brazilian State effectively address all barriers to justice faced by victims of racist crimes by speeding up prosecutions, revising evidence standards to strengthen accountability for discriminatory acts, and monitoring racial disparities in access to justice, especially for Afro-descendant women and LGBTI+ people.
  • To ask the Brazilian State to seek to adequately implement reparation measures for victims and family members affected by State violence, which should include psychological support, medical assistance, and financial compensation, in addition to others that may be necessary in the analysis of the specific case.
  • Ensure that the Brazilian State also complies with the recommendations prepared by the Committees on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, treaty bodies that recently examined the country and noted similar concerns.
  • To recommend the political participation of indigenous peoples and quilombola communities in the development of public policies that affect their territories and in policies for the defense of the environment. In addition, the Brazilian State must guarantee the demarcation and titling of quilombola and indigenous lands, in addition to rejecting the thesis of the Time-Frame Framework.

 

 

 

 

 

General Recommendation No. 5 of the MESECVI: A New Front in the Fight Against Gender-Based Violence Against Afro-descendent Women in the Americas

Washington DC, July 25, 2024.– This International Day of Black Latin American and Caribbean Women, the Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) joins efforts to support the dissemination and promote the implementation of General Recommendation No. 5: Gender-based violence against Afro-descendent women, recognizing that it is a novel and comprehensive framework for action for the protection of Afro-descendent women, adolescents, and girls of the Americas in the face of this scourge.

As an organization that works to promote and defend the human rights of the Afro-descendent population based on ethnic-racial and gender approaches, we welcome the fact that the Inter-American Human Rights System has this general recommendation that provides broad and clear guidance for both States and civil society in the prevention and treatment of gender-based violence against Afro-descendent women.

Background

In the Plan of Action for the Decade for People of African Descent in the Americas 2016-2026, the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) instructed the Follow-up Mechanism to the Convention of Belém do Pará (MESECVI) to include the Afro-descendent perspective in the agenda for the prevention of violence against women as part of the objective of promoting access to justice for the Afro-descendent population of the hemisphere.

In turn, the MESECVI is an evaluation and monitoring system created to ensure the effective implementation of the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women, known as the Convention of Belém do Pará, which was adopted in 1994, being one of the most important legal instruments in the fight against gender-based violence in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The MESECVI prepared this general recommendation in strategic alliance with the Network of Afro-Latina, Afro-Caribbean, and Diaspora Women (RMAAD) and the United Nations Population Fund for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNFPA), according to the general coordinator of the RMAAD, Paola Yáñez, who considers this document to be a historic milestone, while also recognizing that its dissemination and implementation at the country level represents a challenging task.

Racism and Intersectionality: Two Key Points

General Recommendation No. 5: Gender-Based Violence against Afro-descendent Women was approved on April 28 and presented on June 12 at the IX Conference of States Parties to the MESECVI, held in Santiago, Chile.

This recommendation stands out because it recognizes racism as a factor that deepens and perpetuates the violence faced by Afro-descendent women, in addition to having an intersectional perspective that makes the problem visible and proposes responses considering the diversity of Afro-descendent women and the different types of violence they suffer.

“This recommendation recognizes that racism is a determinant for women to face violence. Throughout their lives, Afro-descendent women are more exposed than other groups of women to multiple forms of violence, including symbolic violence, derived from negative stereotypes associated with the racialization of their bodies, skin color, hair, sexuality, culture, and religion,” said Paola Yáñez, general coordinator of the Network of Afro-Latina  Afro-Caribbean, and Diaspora Women (RMAAD), during her participation in the Inter-American Forum against Discrimination, held by Race and Equality in the framework of the 54th General Assembly of the OAS.

In the section on intersectionality, the recommendation refers to LBT Afro-descendent women, those who live with some type of disability, migrants or in a situation of human mobility, those deprived of liberty, and those living under armed conflicts.

About the Recommendations

The recommendations set out in the document are mostly addressed to States, as it recognizes that they are responsible for adopting and implementing actions to transform the patriarchal system that legitimizes and tolerates violence against women. Another particularity is that it proposes the implementation of differentiated and specific measures to protect Afro-descendent women, including public policies that respond to their particular needs and that directly confront ethnic-racial stereotypes.

In terms of prevention and care for gender-based violence, the recommendations range from the development of awareness programs with an ethnic-racial and gender approach to recording statistical and administrative data on cases of violence against Afro-descendent women in a disaggregated manner.

The recommendations also reflect the importance of preventing and addressing the problem through the education systems, with measures such as preparing studies on discrimination and the impact of ethnic-racial and gender stereotypes experienced by girls, adolescents, and Afro-descendent women throughout the education system, establishing protocols for the management of cases of gender-based violence against girls and adolescents in educational centers,  the design and implementation of education programs with an ethnic-racial, gender, and human rights approach aimed at management, teaching, and administrative staff of the education system, and the promotion of curricular reforms of educational programs, content, and texts, ensuring the historical recovery and inclusion of the culture and contributions to today’s societies by the Afro-descendent population, especially women.

From Presentation to Dissemination and Implementation

For civil society, General Recommendation No. 5: Gender-based violence against Afro-descendent women represents a new advocacy tool to guarantee the respect and protection of the human rights of Afro-descendant girls, adolescents, and women in the region, which is why we celebrate its approval.

Race and Equality is committed to supporting the dissemination and promotion of the implementation of Recommendation No. 5 of the MESECVI, with a view to contributing to the prevention, attention, and punishment of gender-based violence against Afro-descendent women, adolescents, and girls in the Americas. We call on States to take action with civil society to make each of the measures proposed in this document possible.

Access, download, and share the full document, HERE.

OAS General Assembly: Race and Equality to dialogue with civil society and experts on racial discrimination, gender-based violence and hemispheric security

Washington D.C., June 14, 2024 – Ahead of the 54th session of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), the Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race & Equality) is reaffirming its commitment to the defense of human rights in the region by holding three parallel events. The first event, the Inter-American Forum against Discrimination, which has been part of the institutional calendar since 2005, will bring together leaders from different countries for a dialogue on reparations and the main demands of the Afro-descendant, indigenous and LGBTI+ population. The second event will address the human rights crisis in Nicaragua and international financial support; and the third event, coordinated by the Latin American Human Rights Consortium, will bring together key actors from different countries to discuss human rights as a pillar of hemispheric security in the Americas. 

The OAS General Assembly will be held from June 26 to 28 at Conmebol, located in the city of Asuncion, Paraguay, under the theme “Integration and Security for the Sustainable Development of the Region”. For Raza e Igualdad, the OAS General Assembly is a space for broad dialogue and exchange of best practices of civil society in the region, as well as an opportunity to strengthen its demands by listening to delegations from Member States and its Secretariat. In this way, the parallel events achieve the purpose of effective political advocacy before this international human rights mechanism. 

Inter-American Forum against Discrimination

This year, the Inter-American Forum against Discrimination will be held on Tuesday, June 25, and will consist of four sections with the following themes: “The role of human rights protection systems in the reparation of different groups discriminated against in the region”; “Experiences of reparation in the region and its scope in relation to racialized, mobile or displaced groups, sexual, religious, linguistic, political minorities, among others”; “Reparation in the context of gender”; and, finally, the section “The ethnic population and the 54th Regular Session of the OAS General Assembly”.

The opening panel of the Forum will feature Gloria De Mees, OAS Rapporteur on the Rights of People of African Descent and against Racial Discrimination. In the following panels, leaders from the region will join the debate with information about their contexts and their struggles for reparations, restitution and guarantees of non-repetition. In addition, in the context of gender reparations, several activists will present and discuss the implications of the general recommendation of the Follow-up Mechanism of the Belém do Pará Convention (MESECVI) on Afro-descendant women. 

The annual Forum will also discuss the strengthening of the Afrodescendant Coalition of the Americas and the Inter-American Convention against Racism, Racial Discrimination and Related Forms of Intolerance (CIRDI). 

To participate, register here: https://tinyurl.com/2fx7uc29  

***

International financial support to Nicaragua despite democratic and human rights crisis

On Tuesday afternoon, June 25, Raza e Igualdad will bring together experts from the OAS, academia and civil society to discuss the responsibility of International Financial Institutions (IFIs) in relation to crimes against humanity and human rights violations in Nicaragua. It will also analyze the strategic relevance of these institutions in the use of human rights due diligence to address the negative impacts of their development projects. 

In a regime historically marked by systematic human rights violations, the continuity of international financial support brings to light several questions from civil society. From 2018 to the present, the authoritarian regime of Daniel Ortega, Rosario Murillo and their followers have carried out widespread and systematic attacks against the Nicaraguan civilian population in opposition for political reasons. Since 2021, the democratic and human rights crisis has significantly worsened. On February 9, 2023, 222 people were released from prison, then banished to the United States and arbitrarily stripped of their nationality and citizenship rights. Among the most vulnerable groups are human rights defenders, journalists, religious leaders, women, indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples, and LGBTI+ people.

However, the abundant evidence of the democratic and human rights crisis in Nicaragua was not enough for the International Financial Institutions to decide to change their strategy towards the country, strengthen their human rights due diligence, or suspend and/or cancel the implementation of their projects in the country. In February 2024, the World Bank Group, the International Monetary Fund, the Inter-American Development Bank Group and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration supported 97 projects in the execution phase in Nicaragua, with the approval of US$5,082.43 million, according to information available on their websites. Of these, 57 projects were approved for a total of US$2,784.43 million, following the onset of the crisis in 2018.

To participate, register here: https://tinyurl.com/57r4b22m

***

Human Rights as a Pillar of Hemispheric Security in the Americas

The Latin American Human Rights Consortium – formed by Race & Equality, Freedom House and the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) – will hold the event “Human Rights as a Pillar of Hemispheric Security in the Americas” on Wednesday, June 26. This event aims to highlight human rights violations in Cuba, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Venezuela as a driver of the debate on security in the region. In these countries with insecure and repressive contexts, inequalities are generated in terms of freedom and security with a differential effect on the most vulnerable groups, such as Afro-descendants, women, children, LGBTI+ population and people deprived of liberty for political reasons.

Thus, new concerns and challenges, including the political, social, economic, environmental and human rights situation of OAS Member States, have led this organization to redefine its understanding of hemispheric security. Thus, on October 28, 2003, the States of the Americas promulgated the “Declaration on Security in the Americas”, proposing a new concept of multidimensional security that recognizes that the objective of hemispheric security is the “protection of human beings”.

In its declaration, the OAS considered that “representative democracy is an indispensable condition for the stability, peace and development of the States of the Hemisphere” and that it is “the responsibility of the specialized forums of the OAS, as well as inter-American and international forums, to develop cooperation mechanisms to confront these new threats on the basis of the applicable instruments”. 

In this context, the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the IACHR, Pedro Vaca; the Deputy Director of the Program for Latin America and the Caribbean of Freedom House, Alejandra Argueta; the lawyer of the organization Cubalex, Alain Espinoza; the legal professional of the Legal Defense Unit of Nicaragua, Arlette Serrano; the Venezuelan journalist from Voces de la Memoria, Victor Navarro; and the co-founder of the association Tracoda (Transparency, Social Controllership, Open Data) from El Salvador, Luis Villatoro, will discuss strategies to strengthen the security and protection of the population and human rights defenders, among the current challenges faced by authoritarian regimes in the Americas. 

To participate, register here: https://tinyurl.com/537cdu3w  

 

More information about the events 

Inter-American Forum against Discrimination

Date and time: Tuesday, June 25, 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Asunción and Washington D.C.) / 10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. (Brasilia time)

Location: Dazzler Hotel, Aviadores del Chaco avenue

Live broadcast via Zoom and Facebook Live @RaceandEquality

Registration: https://tinyurl.com/2fx7uc29  

Simultaneous interpretation in Spanish, Portuguese and English.

 

International financial support to Nicaragua despite democratic and human rights crisis

Date and time: Tuesday, June 25th, 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (Asuncion and Washington D.C.) / 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. (Brasilia time)

Location: Dazzler Hotel, Avenida Aviadores del Chaco

Live broadcast via Zoom and Facebook Live @RaceandEquality

Registration: https://tinyurl.com/57r4b22m  

Simultaneous interpretation in Spanish, Portuguese and English.

 

Human Rights as a Pillar of Hemispheric Security in the Americas

Date and time: Wednesday, June 26th, 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (Asunción and Washington, D.C.) / 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. (Brasilia time)

Location: Hotel Esplendor, Avenida Aviadores del Chaco

Live broadcast via Zoom and Facebook Live @RaceandEquality

Registration: https://tinyurl.com/537cdu3w 

Simultaneous interpretation in Spanish, Portuguese and English.

On the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, We Make an Urgent Call to Combat Religious Discrimination and Racism in the Americas

Washington DC, March 21, 2024.– As we commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on March 21, the Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) urgently calls on States to adopt measures to combat growing manifestations of religious discrimination and racism in the Americas, which significantly affect racialized population groups, such as Afro-descendants and Indigenous peoples.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, these groups face persistent challenges in expressing their sacred, ancestral, and cultural traditions without facing restrictions, stigma, repudiation, or violence. These reprisals include the persecution of members, as well as violence against places of worship and religious symbols associated with these traditions. Religious discrimination and racism can also manifest itself through stereotypes and prejudices that denigrate the beliefs and practices of these people, thus perpetuating their exclusion and marginalization.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) states that, in the case of the Afro-descendant population, their cultural identity encompasses the preservation of ancestral knowledge and the conservation of their historical legacy, so that traditions and beliefs such as the religions Lumbalú, Candomblé, Abakuá, Umbanda, Hoodoo, among others, which have their roots in Africa, are an intangible part of the heritage of the African diaspora and are part of the social process of resistance developed by enslaved people in the Americas.

In the case of Indigenous peoples, in terms of the right to freedom of religion or belief, the United Nations refers to a more diverse and complex spectrum of cultures and beliefs, since in line with their right to self-determination, Indigenous peoples are free to define and determine their own spiritual identity, according to the report “Indigenous Peoples and the Right to Freedom of Religion or Belief”, presented in October 2022 by the then-Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Ahmed Shaheed.

“Many conceptualize spirituality as a ‘way of life’: the shaping of distinctive emotions, habits, practices or virtues, the modeling of distinct beliefs and ways of thinking, and a particular way of living and communicating. Spirituality is therefore related to the transcendent and is intrinsic to the everyday experiences and practices of Indigenous peoples. Beyond its uniqueness, Indigenous spirituality and culture are often based on community, identity, and relationships with traditional lands,” the report details.

A Growing Problem Rooted in Racial Discrimination

The fact that Afro-descendant and Indigenous populations are the most affected by religious discrimination and racism is intrinsically related to the racial discrimination and systemic racism that persists in the Americas. 

In the recent webinar “The Legacy of African Religious Practices and the Social Biases and Prejudices They Face”—organized by the Secretariat for Access to Rights and Equity of the Organization of American States (OAS) in the framework of the VII Week of People of African Descent in the Americas—representatives of civil society associated the rejection, persecution, and even criminalization of these practices to historical processes loaded with ignorance, stigmatization, and prejudice as they are not considered “civilized”.

The IACHR reports repeated denunciations of persecution and attacks against the life and integrity of leaders and practitioners of religions of African origin in different states of the region, as well as complaints of the destruction of temples and sacred spaces of Afro-descendant communities. In Brazil, Race and Equality is aware of cases of religious intolerance against religions of African origin that have triggered legal conflicts, with the disturbing result that practitioners have lost custody of their children.

In Bahia, the Secretary of State for the Promotion of Racial Equality registered 19 cases of religious racism between January and July 21, 2021, representing 65% of the total cases reported in 2020. Similarly, in Rio de Janeiro, the Commission to Combat Religious Intolerance (CCIR) received reports of 19 cases against religions of African origin, including two involving children, as of May of the same year.

On the other hand, in Mexico, a report by the organization Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reveals that Indigenous women in this country suffer more religious discrimination than their male relatives. Women who refuse to join the majority Roman Catholic faith face harassment and exclusion from the justice system, government benefit programs and services, and prenatal health care.

The report notes that although the Mexican Constitution guarantees freedom of religion or belief and other human rights to all its citizens, in practice, violations are common in certain regions: in particular, for Indigenous communities governed by the Law of Uses and Customs.

Standards in the Framework of International Law

Within the Inter-American System, the right to freedom of religion and belief is enshrined in the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man (Article III) and the American Convention on Human Rights (Article 12). Within the Universal Human Rights System, it is stipulated in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and has been further developed in the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, in 1981.

One of the most noteworthy Inter-American instruments on the subject is the Inter-American Convention against Racism, Racial Discrimination, and Related Forms of Intolerance (CIRDI), which states that States must prevent, prohibit, and punish any restriction or limitation on the use of people’s language, traditions, customs, and culture in public or private activities.

The “Study on Freedom of Religion and Belief: Inter-American Standards,” by the IACHR, unveils a broad framework for the protection of this right, where it also highlights instruments and jurisprudence applicable to Indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples. It also points out the vulnerability of some groups, such as LGBTI persons, children and adolescents, human rights defenders, and persons deprived of liberty, and therefore provides an additional set of aspects of the right to freedom of religion and belief in relation to them.

A Call to Action

Race and Equality has integrated the fight against religious discrimination and racism into its lines of work. Since 2021, in Brazil, we have been developing a project aimed at promoting religious tolerance and the reduction of violence and discrimination against practitioners of Afro-descendant religions, through the strengthening of Afro-Brazilian organizations so that they can document cases of violence based on religious beliefs, prepare them for strategic international litigation, and foster a culture of respect for religious freedom, in addition to training entities so that they can provide legal support to victims of this scourge. Meanwhile, in Cuba, we are supporting the preparation of the report “Obstacles Faced by Leaders and Members of Afro-Cuban Religions in Cuba.”

Based on human rights principles, and considering that discrimination and religious racism are growing problems in the region, Race and Equality calls on the States of the Americas to adopt measures to address and contain it, one of the most vital being the ratification and implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Racism, Racial Discrimination and Related Forms of Intolerance. In terms of monitoring, it is important to have statistics and qualitative information on the religious and cultural practices of people of African descent and Indigenous peoples. It is also important to promote information free of prejudices and stigmas regarding these practices and, of course, to sanction any action that hinders them and implies a violation of the human rights of their followers.

8M: Anti-racist force in the struggle for the rights of all women

Washington D.C., 8 March 2024.– Since its beginnings, the movement for the rights of women has been nutured by different perspectives, amplifying it’s vision and mission in different spheres of society. One of these is the anti-racist perspective the, despite encountering a series of obstacles to its full incorporation, it has been the basis for important contributions to the struggle.

This March 8, International Women’s Day, we at the Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality) want to highlight the anti-racist perspective, taking into account that sexism and racism are forms of oppression that are intertwined and uniquely affect women of different ethnic and racial backgrounds, and in the case of the Americas, Afro-descendant and indigenous women in particular.

We spoke with women leaders and activists from different parts of Latin America to hear from them about the importance of the anti-racist perspective in the struggle for women’s rights, their contributions to the feminist movement, and the challenges that persist at different levels to fully incorporate this vision into the work of defending and promoting women’s rights.

Racism as a detonator of multiple violence

“The anti-racist perspective in the struggle for women’s rights is necessary if we conceive of racism as a violence that permeates the system, state and social structures, the family, our bodies, and that causes violence to increase; that is, racism recognized as structural violence also replicates and reproduces multiple forms of violence,” reflects Patricia Torres Sandoval, an indigenous P’urhépecha woman and member of the general coordination of the National Coordinating Committee of Indigenous Women (CONAMI) of Mexico.

The anti-racist perspective within feminisms is essential because it understands that the category of women is much broader or more complex than just identifying ourselves as women, it encompasses everything that would be the visibilization of the situation and experiences of Afro-descendant women, indigenous women, trans women, brings the intersectional analysis that is to think of the multiple forms of oppression such as racism, sexism, class, migratory processes, etc.,” said Gilma Vieira da Silva, regional coordinator of the Afro-descendant Youth Network of Latin America and the Caribbean (REDJUAFRO).

Vieira da Silva adds that intersectionality cannot be thought of without an ethnic-racial context, and recalls that the concept was formulated by a woman of African descent: the American lawyer and academic Kimberly Crenshaw, who devoted much of her work to understanding structural gender inequality.

Gender-based violence is not individual

Torres Sandoval points out that indigenous women have contributed to the recognition of collective violence. She explains that the phrase “My body, my territory”-which has been appropriated as a slogan by the feminist movement-emerges from indigenous women as a way of saying that violating their bodies also violates the land and the territory. “As indigenous peoples and women we recognize ourselves as an integral part of the territory and of Mother Earth, contrary to the Western perspective where we are owners of the land,” she says.

For Gahela Cari, a trans indigenous feminist from the National Federation of Peasant, Artisan, Indigenous, Native and Salaried Women of Peru, feminism is essential for processes of change; however, she points out that it is not enough if it is not anti-racist. In her words, anti-racist feminism “takes a stand in the midst of a society with so many inequalities” and shows that, in addition to gender, other systems of oppression make it impossible to live with dignity.

“We have to open processes of listening, dialogue, collective construction. Even when we do not fully understand what the other person brings to the table,” she says about a necessary task in the feminist struggle to work from an anti-racist approach. In this sense, she highlights the importance of closing the way to authoritarian processes in the country, such as what is happening with the current political regime in Peru.

Educating in an anti-racist perspective, a dual task

In this sense, Fernanda Gomes, a social worker and member of Articulação Brasileira de Lésbica (ABL), from Brazil, questions the fact that they must constantly educate about the anti-racist perspective to people and groups that do not have this vision or even exclude it.

“It’s a big challenge because we waste time thinking about public policy, writing a manifesto, to educate these people. We have to constantly be saying ‘oh so-and-so, I’m not your teacher, Google it, ask a white friend of yours.’ The black women’s, lesbian and feminist movement is also an education movement. We’re educating white people all the time and it’s exhausting,” she asserts.

Contributions and challenges

Brisa Bucardo, a journalist from the Miskito people of Nicaragua, highlights the role that women’s movements have played in the context of the country’s Caribbean Coast, as they have not only provided fundamental support to women victims of violence, but have also led citizen complaints and strengthened women’s capacities both individually and collectively. In addition, they have dismantled ingrained concepts of violence historically justified under the label of “culture”.

In terms of contributions to the struggle for women’s rights, Dunia Medina Moreno, a woman of African descent and member of the Women’s Network of Cuba, highlights the role played by women of African descent in the promotion and defense of human rights, which has resulted in a more comprehensive protection of the rights of all people in their diversity of identities.

“We must create a feminism where all women fit, an intersectional feminism where all women fit and where we can cover all the dimensions of discrimination we experience,” said Leticia Dandre Pie, a human rights activist in the Dominican Republic and member of the Movement of Dominican-Haitian Women (MUDHA).

Despite the progress made in introducing an anti-racist perspective in the struggle for women’s rights, challenges persist for real integration that translates not only into more inclusive activism, but also into the formulation of more comprehensive public policies. “We know that militancy today has to be recognized as a job, our time that we put into the struggle has to be recognized, but many times Afro-descendant women receive very few resources, trans women, women with disabilities, indigenous women are also included,” says Gilma Vieira da Silva, from REDJUAFRO.

“There are many challenges to consider the anti-racist perspective in the State, in academia and in society in general. There is a general imaginary that still places Eurocentrism as the idea of the best, of aspiring to be this hegemonic white stereotype aimed at certain parameters of aesthetic beauty, but it not only exists in the general imaginary but also permeates institutions,” says Patricia Torres Sandoval, of CONAMI Mexico.

From “white feminism” to intersectionality

One of the great criticisms of early feminism, or what we can call “white feminism,” is that it universalized the experience of white women[1]. That is to say, that in the beginning the struggle of feminism was reduced only to the needs of women who, in one way or another, were in a situation of privilege.

The anti-racist perspective in feminism is crucial because it challenges that Eurocentric and androcentric vision that has permeated many academic fields and social movements through white feminism[2]. The racialized women who came to contest these standards have provided critical analyses from their situated experiences, questioning power structures and advocating for a fuller understanding of the intersections of race, gender, and class in the struggle against oppression.

In particular, they have challenged the homogenization of the category “woman” in feminist movements, pointing out that women’s experiences vary significantly according to their race, ethnicity, class and sexual orientation[3]. This intersectional approach has enriched understanding of the interconnections between different systems of oppression.

Did you know…?

There are instruments for the protection and promotion of rights with an anti-racist approach or with a gender-race perspective. Some of them are:

  1. Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR): this is the international document that establishes the fundamental rights of all people without any discrimination based on race or gender, among others.
  2. International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW): this is the international instrument that specifically addresses gender discrimination and takes into account the dimensions of race and other factors. It recognizes the intersectionality of discrimination faced by women.
  3. International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD): this UN treaty prohibits racial discrimination in all its forms and promotes racial equality. Although it does not focus exclusively on the gender perspective, it recognizes the intersectionality of discrimination.
  4. Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action: this convention, which was adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995, highlights intersectionality and recognizes the importance of addressing discrimination based on gender and race.
  5. Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence against Women (Convention of Belém do Pará): this is the inter-American regional treaty that focuses on gender-based violence and recognizes the intersectionality of the forms of discrimination faced by women, including racism.
  6. ILO Convention 169 concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries: this is the convention that addresses the rights of indigenous peoples and recognizes the importance of addressing discrimination based on race.
  7. American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: it recognizes the right of indigenous women to the recognition, protection and enjoyment of all human rights without discrimination, establishing the duty of States to eradicate all forms of violence against indigenous women.
Recommendations

In order to achieve the effective integration of a racial perspective in policies and resolutions concerning women’s rights, States and human rights bodies should:

  • Formulate gender equality policies that explicitly include the intersectional perspective in the formulation of gender equality policies.
  • Promote diversity at all levels of leadership to reflect different experiences.
  • Implement educational programs that highlight the importance of understanding the complexities of intersectionality. In particular, promote awareness of the importance of intersectionality at all levels of government, as well as in judicial decision-making bodies, so that this perspective is replicated in their decisions.
  • Support and promote organizations working on the intersection of gender and race.
  • Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of policies, making sure to address multiple layers of discrimination.

 

 

[1]Parra, Fabiana (2021). Feminism will be anti-racist or it will not be. Joselito Bembé. Revista Político Cultural, nro. 2, p. 42, available in: https://www.memoria.fahce.unlp.edu.ar/art_revistas/pr.12875/pr.12875.pdf

[2] Curiel, Ochy (2007). Postcolonial critique from the political practices of anti-racist feminism. Nómadas, ISSN 0121-7550, ISSN-e 2539-4762, No. 26, p. 93, available in: https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=3997720

[3] Boddenberg, Sophia (2018). Indigenous and Afro-descendant women, intersectionality and decolonial feminism in Latin America.Búsquedas Políticas Magazine, University of Alberto Hurtado, available at: https://politicaygobierno.uahurtado.cl/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2018/06/sophia_boddenberg_mujeres_indigenas.pdf

Dominican Republic: Civil Society Delegation Present at The UPR Pre-Session

Geneva, March 4, 2024 – A Dominican civil society delegation participated in the Pre-session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) held on Friday, February 16, 2024, in Geneva, Switzerland, with the technical support of the Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality). The delegation was composed of Maria Martinez (Movimiento Socio Cultural de Trabajadores Haiti, MOSCTHA), Manuel Dandre (Red de Encuentro Dominicano-Haitiano Jacques Viau, Jacques Viau Network), Rosalba Diaz (Comunidad de Lesbianas Inclusivas Dominicanas, COLESDOM), Roberto Acevedo (Observatorio de Derechos Humanos para Grupos Vulnerabilizados, ODH-GV) and Jenny Morón (Movimiento de Mujeres Domínico-Haitianas, MUDHA), who were accompanied by Elvia Duque, Senior Race and Ethnicity Program Officer at Race and Equality.

During a week in the Swiss city, the delegation also had the opportunity to conduct advocacy by meeting with representatives of United Nations agencies and representatives of diplomatic missions, where they shared information about discrimination faced by some population groups in the Dominican Republic, in violation of their human rights.

Jenny Morón, of MUDHA, explained the situation of statelessness which, according to civil society estimates, affects more than 209,000 people and which has worsened as a result of Law 169-14, to the point that there are currently four groups whose human rights are affected in one way or another: 1) those who due to their surname and phenotypical characteristics are not associated with the Haitian population and have all their rights; 2) people who initially belonged to Group 1 but the State took away their nationality in 2013 for identifying some link with the Haitian population; 3) those who have been registered in the so-called Special Book (Registration Book for children of non-resident foreign mothers); and 4) those born in Dominican territory but who do not have any documentation or designation of nationality.

Activist Manuel Dandre, of the Jacques Viau Network, shared his experience as a person affected by Constitutional Tribunal ruling 168-13, because despite being born in the Dominican Republic, at the age of 55 the State changed his documents after identifying links with the Haitian population. “Those of us who find ourselves in Groups 2 and 3 have partial or no access to basic rights such as education, employment, transit, etc., and we are afraid of legislative changes that continue to diminish our rights,” he said.

Human rights defender María Martínez, of MOSCTHA, emphasized the crisis faced by the Dominican State in the labor area, with women and the stateless population being the most affected. According to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, more than 95% of women in the country identify their workplaces as places of violence or harassment.

Likewise, activist Rosalba Diaz, from COLESDOM, highlighted that “the lack of legislation that guarantees protection to the LGBTI+ population has generated a great vulnerability of this population” emphasizing in her presentation “the constant cases of mutilation, stigma, and other cases of human rights violations faced by the intersex population even from a very young age, as well as the judicial patterns that undermine the custody rights of lesbian mothers in the Dominican Republic.”

Meanwhile, Roberto Acevedo, of ODH-GV, exposed the lack of access to employment and discrimination suffered by people with HIV/AIDS, because despite the existence of Law 135-11 – which provides for the privacy of information on HIV diagnosis – public institutions perform laboratory tests as part of the process of pre-selection of candidates for jobs, resulting in not employing people who test positive even if they have the necessary skills.

The delegation made a positive balance of the visit because in addition to making visible the crisis that the country is experiencing due to racist, xenophobic, and discriminatory policies, as well as positioning its recommendations, it served to warn about Law 1/2024, which creates a centralized body of the State, with the aim of protecting the interests of the nation and assessing internal and external threats against it. Civil society considers that this law generates the necessary tools to support the State in its work of criminalizing activists and human rights defenders, therefore, the delegation made a strong call to demand its repeal.

In addition, upon the return of the delegation to the Dominican Republic, the approval of Resolution No. 13, dated February 17, 2024, on the processing of birth registration of children of foreigners born in the Dominican Republic, was announced. After a few days of evaluation of this Resolution, at first glance it appears to be a possible solution to several of the issues addressed by this delegation in Geneva regarding the situation of statelessness, but upon a deeper analysis it generates concern because it does not benefit the population in condition of statelessness as it establishes the presentation of documents that they do not possess.

Below, we highlight some of the recommendations presented by this delegation during its advocacy tour at the UPR pre-session in Geneva:

  • Promote the creation of a technical roundtable to accompany, review, and implement the recommendations made in the UPR, with the participation of civil society, a member state of the Council, international organizations, and the Dominican State.
  • Promote a national law on equality and non-discrimination that prosecutes, criminalizes, and punishes racism and discrimination in all its forms.
  • Motivate the State to modify and/or eliminate any legislation, sentence, or provision that is not aligned with international treaties and agreements for the protection of human rights.
  • Motivate the State to sign, ratify, and implement the Inter-American Convention against Racism, Racial Discrimination and Related Forms of Intolerance (CIRDI).
  • Prevent statelessness by creating clear, free, and expeditious mechanisms to benefit the victims of Judgment 168.13, given that Law 169.14 has not solved the problem caused by Judgment 168.13. In addition, ratify the 1954 Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.
  • Sensitize the authorities to avoid the criminalization of migration and to eliminate the policy of arrest, deportation, and expulsion based on racial profiling. In addition, take the necessary measures to ensure that no Dominican person is expelled from the national territory because of his or her skin color or descent.
  • Promote interculturality in the field of education and in the media.
  • Promote the protection of the human rights of women and girls in vulnerable situations.
  • Create legislation that integrates the benefits of Conventions 156, 190, and 189.
  • Promote and encourage the social integration of vulnerable groups (people living with HIV/AIDS, drug users) so that they can contribute to their community.
  • Motivate the elaboration and promulgation of the regulations for the application of Law 135-11 on HIV/AIDS, which 12 years later still does not have this important legal instrument.
  • Promote the strengthening of the role of the Ombudsman to promote and defend human rights regardless of gender, nationality, and creed.

Race and Equality thanks MUDHA, COLESDOM, and ODH-GV for obtaining their resources and joining the delegation initially composed of MOSCTHA and the Jacques Viau Network, and invites them to continue building together strategies to counteract the harsh reality that some populations live in the Dominican Republic. We also reiterate our commitment to fight against the different discriminations existing in this country hand in hand with the member organizations of the Jacques Viau Network and the NGO coalition CODHAJUR.

 

Pictured (from left to right): Elvia Duque (Race and Equality), María Martínez (MOSCTHA), Manuel Dandre (Jacques Viau Network), Rosalba Díaz (COLESDOM), Roberto Acevedo (ODH-GV), and Jenny Morón (MUDHA), in Room XXII, Building E of the United Nations. Geneva, Switzerland.

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