Glimpses of Neoliberal Economic Globalization and Development Aggression Against Indigenous Women

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• Glimpses of Neoliberal Economic Globalization and
  Development Aggression Against Indigenous Women
• Eleanor P. Dictaan
  -Bang-oa
• Asia
  Indigenous Women's Network
  
  (AIWN)?
• Presented to the Asia- Pacific Regional
  Consultation with the UN Special Rapporteur on
  Violence Against Women, Its Causes and
  Consequences and the UN Special Rapporteur on the
  Situation of Human Rights and Fundamental
  Freedoms of Indigenous Peoples
• October 15 16, 2008
• New Delhi, India

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Faces of Economic Globalization in Indigenous
Territories (IFG, 2006)?
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• Snapshots of Development Aggression in Asia

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mines

• Philippines
• 12 million has. (40 total land area) earmarked
  for mineral exploitation
• Cordillera region (IP territory) 60 under mine
  application

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dams

• India Look East Policy
• In the North East Region
• gt168 proposed megahydroelectric projects
• gt 24 under construction
• (Turial HEP, Mizoram, India)?

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• India ( continued)?
• 79 of 1.4 million peoples displaced in the last
  10 years by mines, industrial plants and dams are
  tribals involving 10.2 million has.
• (Andra Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Orissa and
  Jharkhand)?

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Commodity Intelligence Report December 31, 2007
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In 2003 estimated to have reached 140 conflicts
(Sawit Watch, 2005).
Land tenure disputes within oil palm plantation
up to 2003 (Sawit Watch, 2005)?
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transmigration

• India Land Transfer Regulation
• Bangladesh government-sponsored and
  military-escorted Bengali settlers in the
  Chittagong Hill Tracts
• Cambodia land alienation for development
  projects
• Laos village consolidation and poverty
  alleviation (59,947 people resettled 151,178 to
  be resettled between 2005 - 2010

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Militarization impunity

• Armed Forces Special Powers Act (India)?
• OPLAN UTTURAN (Bangladesh)?
• Military Regime ( Burma)?
• Anti-terrorism/Human Security

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Impacts on indigenous women
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Displacement
Denial of access to livelihoods, traditional
spaces, food, fuel, fodder, water and
housing materials practice of culture and
medicinals Disenfranchisement from
productive, reproductive and other roles
DENIAL OF RIGHT TO LIFE AND DEVELOPMENT WITH
DIGNITY
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Free trade....

• traditional weaving industry, an additional
  source of income for indigenous women collapsed
  due to the influx of cheap imported materials
• Entrepreneurs who have resources to access
  technology have innovated on traditional designs
  
• Result
• loss of additional income
• Erosion of weaving knowledge/skills and designs
• Erosion of culture

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Development aggression...impacts

• False Appeals to Women and Undermining Indigenous
  Systems ( job opportunities, resettlement
  packages and benefits, etc.)?
• Sell-out ( inevitable)?
• migration/trafficking
• Impact and influence of others - including VAW
  and domestic violence
• Strategic lawsuits against peoples' participation

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Recommendations

• General recommendation to CEDAW broaden scope
  of VAW to include systematic violence against
  indigenous women by forces of economic
  globalization in cahoots with states
• States to fullfill obligations to human rights
• Use UNDRIP as framework for CEDAW concerning
  indigenous women
• Support and develop traditional/alternative
  economies that are sustainable
• Stop unsustainable/destructive development
  projects
• Stop militarization

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recommendations....

• Respect for indigenous peoples' rights
  particularly the rights to self-determined
  development and free and prior informed consent
• Upholding the principles of human rights based
  approach to development and corporate
  accountability
• Full and effective participation of indigenous
  women in development process

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recommendations....

• ... even if I am an old woman, I will fight!
• With land, even if it small if you are
  industrious, you will be able to eat...
• If you do not have rice,will you be able to chew
  your money?
• CARRY ON and SUPPORT INDIGENOUS WOMEN'S
  STRUGGLES!