GENEVA (22 June 2022) – Indigenous women and girls face grave, systematic, and continuous acts of violence that permeate every aspect of their lives while perpetrators enjoy alarming levels of impunity, a UN expert said. “This violence is rooted in historic and unequal patriarchal power structures, racism, exclusion, and marginalisation enabled by a legacy of colonialism,” said Reem Alsalem, UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences in a report to the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday. “The level of impunity that perpetrators, both State and non-State actors, enjoy is alarming, and the scale and seriousness of violence experienced by indigenous women and girls are inadequately reflected in data collection, legislation, or public policies,” Alsalem said. Although the right of indigenous women and girls to be free from violence is enshrined in international law, this has not materialised into effective prevention and protection measures by States, the Special Rapporteur said. Alsalem’s report presents an overview of the main causes and consequences of gender-based violence against indigenous women and girls. It highlights good practices and challenges to their access to justice and support services. Indigenous women and girls experience systemic discrimination in indigenous and non-indigenous justice systems and confront major barriers in accessing justice, the report said. It called on States to review the interplay of laws between the nation state and indigenous communities to ensure that violence is prevented. The UN expert warned that the legal lacuna and grey zones on human rights accountability of non-State actors contribute to promoting violence against indigenous women and girls. “Where violence occurs, it must be addressed effectively to end impunity that exists for these crimes,” Alsalem said. “This violence occurs with the full knowledge and often the tacit agreement and support of States,” she said. Alsalem’s report also provides recommendations for States and other stakeholders to implement policy and legal reforms that will protect the right of indigenous women and girls to a life free from violence. “Indigenous women and girls must be entitled to full, equal and effective participation that goes beyond lip service and sees them as resilient actors rather than only as survivors of violence,” she said. The Special Rapporteur also presented a report on her country visit to Mongolia. ENDS