‘We are not afraid’: Brazilian indigenous women rise up against gender violence
In Parque das Tribos, an indigenous neighborhood in Manaus, the capital of Brazil’s Amazonas state, violence against women is not uncommon.
“As a leader, I have experienced many things,” said Lutana Ribeiro, a member of the Kokama tribe, and the only female leader in Parque das Tribos, which is home to 4,500 people. “Women knocked on my door asking for help.”
Inferior and isolated in terms of air, road and sea access, the state of Amazonas faces significant challenges in accessing public services, including for sexual and reproductive health support and violence-based response. on the male.
A great increase in feminism
In 2021, at least one person calls the national police emergency number in Brazil every minute to report domestic violence. From 2016 to 2021, the rate of feminism – defined as the killing of a woman, motivated at least in part by her gender – has reportedly increased by more than 44 per cent, with one woman He died as a result of childbirth every seven hours.
In the state of Amazonas, of all the women killed intentionally, more than one in five is a female case.
Mrs. Ribeiro, who is well-known in her community as a strong defender of human rights, recently facilitated several workshops for survivors of gender-based violence, which are 50 women from the area . “On the first day, little talk. Today, most of them have spoken. “
The workshops, conducted by the UN’s reproductive and sexual health agency, UNFPA, explore forms of violence and explain how to access local social support networks and legal protection mechanisms available.
These include the Maria da Penha Law, which changed Brazil’s Penal Code in 2006 to not only allow victims to be arrested for violence against women or girls, but also to be detained, if they are at risk do like that. An act is considered a threat to human life.
A safe space for women
Ms. Ribeiro described how, from the second day of the workshop, the women were eager to share their experiences with each other and with the UNFPA team. “After the first session, many women feel empowered. The next day, people said ‘enough’ to the violence. These men will not do what they want with them anymore, because now women have more power.”
The workshops are aimed at training women from the indigenous community to help spread life-saving information among their friends, family, and colleagues.
Children also join sports so that their mothers can attend. “The initiative is very important for us to be stronger and have this support through discussion and experience,” said Ms. Ribeiro.
“The workshops create a safe space for women to think together on the types of violence that affect their daily lives and on coping strategies,” said Débora Rodrigues, UNFPA head of office in Manaus. said the head of the UNFPA office in Manaus, “which includes provision and access. to services that guarantee safety and rights for the entire Parque das Tribos area”.
With financial support from the United States Agency for International Development, UNFPA is implementing projects across the northern Brazilian states of Amazonas and Roraima to strengthen local capacities in preventing and combating gender-based violence.
By 2022, more than 36,000 women and girls benefit from the initiative, with access to services such as shelters and safe spaces for survivors, and workshops that rehabilitate men and boys.
Ms. Ribeiro said the participants in the Parque das Tribos workshop felt a collective sense of belonging, saying: “We, as indigenous people, are not afraid.”
