WUNRN
6 August 2014 - I
am one of many indigenous women living and working in Dhaka, the capital of
But my story is
different. I’m 32 years old and I’m from the Lushai community in the Chittagong
Hill Tracts. In 2010 I left my family and headed for
As one of the smallest of about 45 indigenous
communities in
As a
young and well educated indigenous woman, I know I am a role model in my community. I was
educated at the university in
Land
as a commodity
Land loss for the
indigenous often goes hand in hand with loss of their traditional occupations.
Along with an influx of people from the majority population, more indigenous
lands are being appropriated for commercial uses, with no regard for the
traditional land management system.
In the Chittagong
Hill Tracts, for example, the construction of the Kaptai Dam in 1960 to
generate hydro-electric power submerged 220 square km of cultivable land and
displaced 18,000 families and 100,000 tribal people.
Competition
for land is also heating up under
the dual pressures of population growth and climate change, as more
non-indigenous climate refugees seek safety from regular flooding in the delta
areas of the lowlands. And as non-indigenous cut down trees for cultivation,
rather than using the traditional slash and burn methods of the Hill Tract peoples,
food insecurity is on the rise along with greater reliance on government food
hand-outs.
How
the ILO is helping
The ILO is working
with the
I know that
implementing those recommendations can only be achieved with collaboration over
the long term between the ILO and its constituents. But we are making progress.
Organizing and
coordinating training for indigenous youth and women, as well as seminars and
consultations has given me the opportunity to witness our peoples’ strides in
understanding their rights as indigenous peoples.
The ILO’s work to
promote decent employment for indigenous peoples can help relieve poverty in
rural areas, where dependence on the land as a source of food production is
causing food insecurity. It can also help prevent the migration of unskilled
indigenous workers to the urban areas in the first place.
A
common challenge
As I said earlier,
most urban-based
indigenous peoples work in the garment, beauty and domestic work industries,
sectors still considered as informal. So even if there is an
allegation of harassment and discrimination, usually nothing is done about it.
The Bangladesh
Constitution states that no person can be discriminated against on the grounds
of race, ethnicity and religion. Yet a study conducted by the ILO Indigenous
Peoples Project reveals that indigenous women working in the garment industry
are not aware of their rights, that are included in the ILO Conventions No.107,169,
and 111.
Journalists have asked me in the past if I face teasing
or harassment as an indigenous woman. My answer is no. And that’s because of my
job, which has given me more than a paycheck.
I’ve also earned
respect from others and confidence in myself. But I know indigenous women
working in the informal sector face the triple whammy of harassment because of
their tribal links, their gender and the injustice of poverty.
In
International
Labour Convention No. 169 Indigenous and Tribal Peoples
§
The ILO Convention No. 169 adopted in 1989
and the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples adopted in 2007 are
the two main international instruments on indigenous peoples’ rights.
§
The Convention covers a broad range of
issues of relevance to indigenous peoples including customary law and access to
justice, land and territories, rights to natural resources, the right to
development, education, health and social security, as well as traditional
occupations, labour rights and vocational training.
§
So far 22 countries have ratified the
convention, including 15 in