A/75/185 children, including female genital mutilation, as well as forced marriage. Furthermore, indigenous women are also particularly affected financially, and violence against women is correlated with economic insecurity. 88 Rates of maternal mortality are also reportedly rising as a result of deprioritizing non-COVID-related treatments and where hospitals require a negative COVID test report to receive treatment, without providing assistance to those who do not have access to the test or cannot afford one. 89 66. The workload of women increased when families were confined at home; in addition to carrying out their usual tasks (getting firewood, cooking, etc.), they have often been the ones responsible for ensuring preventive hygienic measures, which has increased their need for safe water that needs to be collected from longer distances while respecting restrictions, and caring for the sick. 90 The Continental Network of Indigenous Women in the Americas has produced a report on the impact of COVID-19 on women, with a wealth of information and a description of good practices in the region. 91 Access to food and livelihood 67. COVID-19 has increased existing hardships for indigenous peoples with regard to access to food and safe water and has disrupted their lo cal and traditional economies. Indigenous communities whose land rights are denied or who do not have self-determination on their territories are not able to exercise control over their food production and access to fields, forest or beaches; lockdown has therefore reduced their ability to sustain themselves. 92 68. The closure of local markets prevents the sale and purchase of food and the bartering of first-necessity items and deprived families of disposable income. Communities depending on cash crops are particularly affected and may lack adequate resources for the next planting season. In Africa and Asia, agricultural producers and creators of indigenous artwork, 93 as well as gatherers of small forest products, 94 have been unable to sell their goods. In Asia, the period between March and June before the monsoon is of particular importance for indigenous peoples to earn sufficient money from such sales before employment opportunities decrease. 95 69. Semi-nomadic and pastoral communities have been unable to freely roam in search of grazing lands for their cattle or to sell their animals in markets. 96 In Sapmi, reindeer herders have seen a drop in the sale of meat as restaurants closed down, reducing their income and also having implications on land management, as their herds are larger than normal and may create conflicts over the use of land. 97 __________________ 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 18/27 Submission by the Native Women’s Association of Canada. Joint submission by Nepalese indigenous women’s organizations. Joint submission by Franciscans International and partners. See list of contributions to the report at https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/IPeoples/ SRIndigenousPeoples/Pages/Callforinput_COVID19.aspx. See https://www.forestpeoples.org/en/increased-hunger-and-poverty-for-Batwa-in-Uganda-amidcovid-19 and submission by Union Nationale du Peuple Kanak. Submissions by the Ogiek Peoples’ Development Programme and Moroccan Amazigh organizations. See Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact, “COVID-19 and humanity: human rights in peril”, May 2020, available at https://aippnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/AIPPs-flash-update-3.pdf, and submission by Action pour la promotion des minorités autochtones e n Afrique Centrale. International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation, “Weaponizing pandemic against indigenous peoples: continuing plunder and rights investigations” (May 2020), p. 4. Available at https://www.ipmsdl.org/news/new-publication-onweaponizing-pandemic-against-indigenous-peoples-continuing-plunder-and-rights-violations. Submission by Association des femmes peules autochtones du Tchad. Joint submission by Swedish civil society organizations in response to the joint questionnaire of the special procedures. 20-09737