Rural and Indigenous women

42. The Committee is concerned about the limited access of rural and Indigenous women to education, employment and health care. It also notes with concern that rural and Indigenous women are underrepresented in decision-making and leadership positions and:

1. The lack of consultations with Indigenous women on large-scale projects, such as tourism, agro-industrial and hydroelectric projects undertaken by foreign investors and private enterprises on Indigenous lands and using their natural resources, as well as the adverse impact of climate change on rural and Indigenous women, including intense drought, loss of crops and food and water insecurity;
2. The forced eviction and displacement of Indigenous women and girls, labour exploitation, serious health consequences, and sexual violence and trafficking related to business and development projects on Indigenous lands;
3. The intimidation, harassment and threats against rural and Indigenous women environmental activists participating in peaceful protests to protect their lands and the criminalization of their activities.

43. Recalling its general recommendations No. 34 (2016) on the rights of rural women, No. 37 (2018) on the gender-related dimensions of disaster risk reduction in the context of climate change and No. 39 (2022) on the rights of Indigenous women and girls, the Committee reiterates its previous concluding observations (CEDAW/C/HND/CO/7–8, para. 43) and recommends that the State party:

1. Ensure that economic activities, including logging, development, investment, tourism, extractive, mining and climate mitigation and adaptation programmes, and conservation projects, are implemented only in Indigenous territories and protected areas with the effective participation of Indigenous women, including full respect for their right to free, prior and informed consent and the undertaking of adequate consultation processes;