A/HRC/51/28 discrimination they face. Too often this gap leads to indigenous women’s perspectives being overlooked, ignored and substituted by the views of other constituencies. The system-wide action plan for ensuring a coherent approach to achieving the ends of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples specifically calls on the United Nations system and Member States to address this issue. D. Violence against indigenous women and girls 70. Indigenous women’s ability to transmit scientific knowledge across generations is impacted by the violence they experience in the form of domestic violence, sexual violence, armed conflict, labour exploitation, trafficking, criminalization and obstetric violence. 62 Violence against indigenous women and girls not only constitutes “an attack on those women individually, but often involves harm to the collective identity of the communities to which they belong”.63 71. The practices of indigenous peoples can also present barriers to the protection of indigenous women’s scientific knowledge. These include forced marriage, female genital cutting and violent definitions of masculinity. 64 Responsibility for improving such violent situations often lacks the support and advocacy of indigenous men. 72. Violence against indigenous women and girls has made this issue a key focus of the mandate, as discussed in thematic reports65 and recent communications to States,66 as well as during most official country visits. In 2021, the Special Rapporteur visited Costa Rica and heard about the increased aggression, intimidation and threats that indigenous women and youth have been facing, affecting their role in the transmission of indigenous scientific knowledge and the possibility of developing their entrepreneurial skills and resulting in the loss of food sovereignty. 67 The mandate has observed that State mechanisms to address violence against indigenous women have been slow and inadequate. 73. Indigenous women and girls, however, “should not only be seen as victims. In reality, they are active change agents in society and champions of sustainability, standing at the forefront of promoting Indigenous Peoples’ rights and women’s rights, as well as playing an essential role in safeguarding and passing along Indigenous knowledge, tradition, culture and language”.68 74. The criminalization of indigenous environmental defenders has been well documented, with women often leading the efforts to protect their lands and resources from external threats, such as development projects. Indigenous women are also criminalized for carrying on with their livelihoods in national parks, world heritage sites and other protected areas, where access to their lands, territories and resources is restricted. 75. Indigenous women suffer gendered impacts as smear campaigns may target them by spreading rumours that they are dishonourable women of poor reputation who violate indigenous traditions by engaging in public participation and advocacy on community concerns. The aim of such defamation is to disempower and alienate women from their families and communities. While the majority of indigenous individuals who face criminal charges are men, women bear the brunt of their absence as they have to assume responsibility for securing resources to sustain the family, including food and the means to send their children to school. 69 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 E/CN.6/2017/12, para. 7. https://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=E/CN.6/2017/12. Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Indigenous Women and their Human Rights in the Americas (2017), para. 49. See A/HRC/30/41. See A/HRC/30/41 and A/HRC/39/17. See, for example, CAN 4/2021, MEX 7/2021, BRA 3/2021, HND 3/2021, COL 6/2021 and PHL 1/2021. See https://www.ohchr.org/en/statements/2021/12/end-mission-statement-united-nations-specialrapporteur-rights-Indigenous. International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs, The Indigenous World (2020), p. 18. See A/HRC/39/17. 15