The Fraternity – Humanitarian Federation (FIHF) promotes livelihoods for indigenous women

For the Fraternity – Internacional Humanitarian Federation (FIHF), International Women’s Day is a date to celebrate and also to clarify its commitment to promoting livelihoods for indigenous women living in a situation of migration and refuge in Roraima.

The Indigenous Cultural and Training Centre (CCFI), created in 2021, promotes actions to minimize gender inequalities by creating income generation opportunities for the indigenous women assisted in the area. These activities aim to promote the autonomy and protagonism of these women, always respecting the peculiarities of their cultures.

Gender equality corresponds to the fifth of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals created by the UN to comply with the 2030 Agenda agreements. It is a pillar for the other goals to be achieved.

The Fraternity – Humanitarian Federation (FIHF) is aligned with this agenda and aims to achieve gender equality and empower girls, young women and women, who are assisted by the CCFI.

Imer, a humanitarian member and CCFI coordinator, reports on the activities carried out with women at the Centre: “The CCFI encourages and promotes the participation of young and adult indigenous women in technical-professional training courses. This year, we are, in this sense, carrying out joint actions with UN Women with six certified courses to be held at Senac in the areas of food, sewing and beauty, exclusively for migrant and refugee indigenous women.” 

 “We salute all indigenous women!”

The regional coordinator of the Roraima Humanitarian Mission, Sister Maria Raquel, highlights the importance of International Women’s Day as a symbol of overcoming and resilience of women throughout history and discusses the ‘warrior’ profile of indigenous women and the challenges experienced by them in Brazilian territory.

“Women have historically faced gender inequalities and violence, seeking through public policies to establish another correlation of understanding of citizenship in the area of ​​political, social, economic and cultural rights. Through their commitments, they won opportunities for their families, guaranteed rights for children and adolescents, fought for access to education, health, assistance and insertion in the labor market.

Indigenous women migrants and Venezuelan refugees who migrated and continue to seek survival in the Brazilian territory and, beyond that, reintegration into the social fabric, bring with them this tireless mark, the search for opportunities, overcoming challenges, which we cannot even imagine, whether it be language, respect, discrimination and domestic violence, among many others. We salute all women who, seeking to strengthen their gender relations, bring their families and the community in general closer to a time when solidarity, fraternity and local collaboration make all the difference, when they aim for the common good. ”

Report of an indigenous refugee

Among the indigenous women assisted by the CCFI is Nuris Maria Suarez, 65, who has two sewing and entrepreneurship courses in her career.

Nuris reports that the training she received was a paradigm shift in her life. Before, she was depressed because she had nothing to do, and now she feels integrated into the local community, learned a new language and, most importantly, has a profession.

Her journey began with making ecological pads, but she already feels ready for new challenges. “My dream is to continue sewing. Now I can create my own things, I can open my own business, I can do whatever I want,” she says with conviction.

Of the courses taken, she highlights the Cutting and Sewing, given by Passarela Alternativa, which presented new sewing possibilities with recycled material. “We learned to do things we didn’t know about. It was really good,” she says.

Nuris’s dream of becoming a professional and finding her space is the dream of most migrants who left Venezuela as refugees and have been living in Brazil for some years. “I feel happy here in Brazil, what I really wanted is coming true. Not only am I fulfilling a dream, other people are too. I see that light at the end of the tunnel, which illuminates, shines, which gives strength and vigor. I feel freer, more motivated. I appreciate the support of all the brothers: Brazilians and non-Brazilians and the indigenous brothers themselves. Very grateful.”

International Women’s Day 2023

“For an inclusive digital world: innovation and technology for gender equality” is the theme of International Women’s Day 2023. “By commemorating International Women’s Day, the United Nations recognizes and celebrates the women and girls who are promoting the advancement of transformative technologies and digital education.”

Bringing women and girls into the digital world is a transformative way to promote gender equality. The absence of women in this space is relevant and has enormous costs. According to UN Women’s Gender Snapshot 2022 report, from UN Women’s, excluding women from the digital world has wiped $1 trillion from the gross domestic product of low and middle-income countries over the past decade — a loss that will grow to $1.5 trillion dollars by 2025 if nothing changes.