Indegenous Knowledge

Gender Issues

Published on September 13, 2004 By ICT Journalist In Pure Technology

Being aware of the dangers and opportunities present in the use of information technology, indigenous women talked to during my survey affirm the following: That information should be made available to them in their own languages and must consider the context and cosmovision of the indigenous peoples. They added that information should not be used to undermine the cultures, identity and rights of indigenous peoples. Information and information technology should not be used to commercialise their knowledge and image of the indigenous peoples, in general. That the method of communication should intergrate different ways of communication which are oral, informal and collectivly done. Information should be made available for indigenous women so that they will have access to decisions made, which have direct impacts on their lives. Spaces which allow indigenous women to empower themselves, should be facilitated by information and technolgy. They therefore recommed that: all documentation which deal with indigenous peoples should be elaborated and disseminated through appropriate means of communications(Tv,radio, paintings,stories) in the language of our people according to the realities and with a gender perspective. The existing important information on indigenous women should be disseminated to as many people as possible. Indigenous women must develop the capacity to organise themselves and to promote and strenthern the appropriate means of communciations, to establish networks, centers of communication and information on indigenous women. A an advocate I make concerted efforts to influence policies of communication to safeguard the rights of indigenous peoples. They are under threat and may lose their indentity, culture and aaccess to resources. I should use the means of communication to : -denounce abuses and violations of indigenous peoples rights and -to promote international solidarity in the defense of their rights. I therfore urge everyone to make visible in the Information Society to be able to intergrate the indigenous womens struggle in the global women's struggle and get political space in the decisison making and actions of women. Information is power and it has been used against indigenous people for a long time and still is. Access to information empowers them an denables them to lobby, monitor policy, learn, collaborate mobilise call for solidarity, campaign and react. Any indigenous manifest is still welcome. Email

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