The Batwa forest people of Rwanda (also known as Pygmies) are recognized as having been the first inhabitants of the land. Traditionally the Batwa were forest hunter-gatherers, living throughout Rwanda.

In developing countries, girls lag behind boys, according to the latest World Bank research. The discrepancy is explained in part by the fact that male teachers discriminate against girls. Girls are perceived as less intelligent while boys are given more opportunity to talk and participate. Girls are expected to be obedient, be quiet and sit at the back of the classroom. In some countries, girls are even given janitorial work while in school, while boys play and study. The study suggests that h more...

The number of women living with HIV/AIDS is on the rise in India, according to a recent United Nations survey that found that the disease was passed on largely by polygamous husbands. The study 'Gender Impact of HIV/AIDS in India' - carried out by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), and National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) - was conducted to assess the socio-economic impact of HIV/AIDS in the six high prevalence states more...

This technical brief from Johns Hopkins University examines which community-based approaches to accelerating abandonment of female genital cutting (FGC) have the best chance of achieving sustainable change. While approaches based on restrictive laws or the health consequences of FGC send important policy messages, they may have limited impact unless they also address the cultural underpinnings and specific context of the practice and determine the community’s level of support or opposition tow more...

"The Millennium Development Goals and indigenous peoples: Re-defining the Millennium Development Goals" is the theme of the Fifth Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. It will take place at UN Headqarters in New York 15 to 26 May 2006. This year's Session will begin with the launching of the Programme of Action for the Second International Decade of the World's Indigenous People. The launching of the Decade will take place in the General Assembly Hall on Monday 15 May. In add more...

In Guatemala,Spanish is the dominant language in commerce and government. Yet with 23 ethno-linguistic groups,approximately half of Guatemala’s 12 million citizens are indigenous and many—particularly women and children—do not speak Spanish, resulting in serious economic and social justice problems due to exclusion. This project, funded by the 2002 Development Marketplace, aims to improve access to justice for indigenous peoples of Guatemala by providing judges and municipal staff in thr more...

The World Bank has posted a Mayan translation of its report "Indigenous Peoples, Poverty and Human Development in Latin America: 1994-2004". Translated into Mayan kiché, the document is aimed at advancing transparency for indigenous Mayan people who make up large proportions of Mexico and Guatemala. Five Latin American countries with the largest indigenous populations--Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru--are included in the report. It argues on whether poverty rates decreased among more...

"Sexual Assault in Indian Country: Confronting Sexual Violence" is a research report from National Sexual Violence Resource Centre (U.S.) that puts violence toward women in Native American communities into historical context and relates it to racism and poverty. According to this thoughtful document, "...The historical treatment of native populations has transformed the lives of traditionally peaceful peoples to an existence often marked by crime and impoverishment. Despite some efforts by tri more...

This UNDP document outlines a framework to guide UNDP staff in building sustainable partnerships with indigenous peoples, with particular emphasis on mechanisms to build policy engagement for indigenous people. Its specific directive to UNDP staff is to foster an enabling environment that promotes indigenous peoples’ participation in all decision-making levels; ensures the co-existence of their economic, cultural, and socio-political systems with others; develops the capacity of Governments to more...

The problem of stateless children is discussed extensively on the website of Youth Advocate Program International. Among the legal barriers to establishing nationality for children, especially in countries where citizenship is determined by parents' nationalities or the birthplace of the child, are cases where people face government persecution due to race or ethnicity. Registration services can be refused to ethnic minorities that governments consider to be undesirable. These same governments a more...