A/HRC/39/17/Add.2
migration, which causes women to assume greater social, cultural and political
responsibilities in the absence of men.
77.
Access to justice is a particular problem with respect to femicide in indigenous
areas; such crimes are on the increase and frequently go unpunished in Mexico. Indigenous
women reported a lack of diligence on the part of the competent authorities when it comes
to arresting, investigating and prosecuting perpetrators and characterizing such cases as
femicide.
78.
Obstetric violence is another grave concern. Women reported that indigenous
women in need of obstetric care were treated with negligence, indifference and
discrimination by health workers, which resulted in deaths and serious injuries.
Discrimination against indigenous traditional midwives by health authorities and medical
workers, including stigmatization and the prohibition of traditional practices, is also a
source of concern. The Special Rapporteur notes that, in states such as Chiapas, indigenous
midwives have come together to demand that their ancestral knowledge be recognized and
valued and that the state health sector engage in respectful collaboration with them. In
addition, initiatives have been led by the National Human Rights Commission and the
Supreme Court to promote the rights of indigenous midwives.
79.
Indigenous women also expressed concerns about the budget cuts that would affect
the programmes run by the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous
Peoples and their difficulties in obtaining access to appropriate health services, support for
women victims of violence and access to justice.
Children and young people
80.
Indigenous children and young people are severely affected by the overall situation
faced by their peoples.
81.
In Chihuahua and Guerrero, concerns have been raised about the forced recruitment
of children and young people by organized crime groups owing to the lack of State
prevention policies and economic opportunities. In regions affected by organized crime and
drug trafficking, young people are left with few options and they are often forced to decide
between joining these groups or being tortured, disappeared or murdered.
82.
Children are affected by the ineffective monitoring of activities that have
environmental and health impacts. Yaqui children, young people and women in Sonora
have suffered serious illnesses, injuries and death due to the indiscriminate use of
agrochemicals by agro-industrial firms for more than 15 years.
83.
Children are affected by discrimination as regards access to education. Many
indigenous communities do not have schools because they do not meet the population
requirements laid down by the state authorities. In Guerrero, indigenous communities have
taken legal action in order to demand the construction of schools or the provision of a
sufficient number of teachers.
84.
Official figures for the academic year 2015/16 show that over 1.2 million indigenous
children were enrolled in preschool and primary education and that academic achievement
rates improved. Culturally relevant curricula and teaching materials have been developed
and consultations with indigenous peoples have been held at the national level with a view
to improving the indigenous education model. However, these efforts are not sufficient;
further steps must be taken to provide culturally appropriate education.
Migrants and day labourers
85.
Indigenous persons who emigrate from their communities for lack of economic
opportunities or as a result of violence or displacement in order to live in urban centres or
work as day labourers constitute a sector of the population that is not properly addressed in
public policies. The situation of indigenous Mexican and Central American migrants who
travel through Mexican territory to reach the United States of America has also received
insufficient attention. These groups face multiple forms of discrimination, their lives and
work are essentially invisible, they are afraid to use complaint mechanisms and they are
extremely vulnerable to violence, exploitation and marginalization.
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