Published on: 2026-09-23
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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September 23, 2026 Human Rights
Forced sterilization, contraception without consent, sexual violence, and removal of children from families – Indigenous women and girls have been subjected to violations for decades, the consequences of which are still felt today. Many continue to face violence and discrimination. This was stated by the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous peoples, Alberto K. Baryum, when presenting his new report on Wednesday to the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
“The protection of the sexual and reproductive health and rights of Indigenous women is crucial for the survival, continuity, and self-determination of Indigenous peoples,” emphasized the expert.
According to him, women pass on their peoples’ language, knowledge, culture, and identity to future generations. That is why control over their bodies and ability to bear children became one of the tools of community oppression, alongside land seizure. Among the reasons for such violations, Baryum named colonialism, systemic racism, patriarchal orders, and the drive for forced assimilation.
Decisions that were made for women
The report provides examples from various regions of the world. In Canada, forced sterilization was carried out both under special laws and without them. According to data provided by an expert, 74 percent of Indigenous women whose cases were reviewed by the relevant commission in the province of Alberta underwent sterilization. At the same time, the problem is not limited to the distant past: the Canadian Senate Committee on Human Rights noted cases of forced sterilization as late as 2018.
In Greenland in the 1960s and 1970s, Danish authorities carried out a campaign to insert intrauterine contraceptive devices in Inuit women and girls. It affected nearly half of approximately nine thousand women and girls of reproductive age, with procedures often performed without their consent or knowledge. Some girls were only 12 years old.
The victims later reported chronic pain, infections, infertility, and severe psychological consequences. Such experiences also undermined trust in medical institutions.
Another tool of interference in the lives of indigenous peoples was the forced removal of children. In Canada, the residential school system operated for over 150 years and is estimated to have affected around 150,000 children. In his speech, Baryum recalled the sexual abuse in such institutions, as well as the persecution of traditional childbirth practices.
Discrimination in hospitals
Today, violations take other forms as well. Women have to overcome language barriers, travel to remote medical facilities, and face humiliation and refusal to consider their cultural traditions. As a result, necessary assistance is often unavailable or provided too late.
The report states that in several countries in the Congo River basin, medical workers call indigenous women unclean. Fearing such treatment, many avoid medical facilities and give birth at home. In Finland and Sweden, in regions where the majority of the Sámi population lives, there are no special medical services or shelters for Sámi victims of gender-based violence.
Baryum emphasized that the legacy of historical injustice manifests in the persistently high levels of sexual violence, human trafficking, maternal mortality, and the forced separation of children from their families.
When pollution threatens motherhood
The expert paid special attention to soil, water, and air pollution, including that caused by mining. The report notes that exposure to toxic substances can lead to infertility, miscarriages, and pregnancy complications, and the effects can impact future generations.
According to the study presented in the document, among the surveyed indigenous women of reproductive age living near gold mining areas in Nicaragua and Peru, 88–99 percent had mercury levels in their bodies exceeding established safety limits. The main source of exposure was the consumption of contaminated fish.
Armed conflicts and the militarization of territories also exacerbate the threat of sexual violence and exploitation. According to Baryum, violations of the rights of indigenous women have also occurred in connection with environmental protection initiatives.
Confessions of the past are not enough
Some states have already issued public apologies, conducted investigations, and paid compensation. However, as the expert noted, the measures taken remain “episodic, uneven, and partial.”
He called on states to investigate violations, hold those responsible accountable, and provide victims with compensation, medical, and psychological assistance. Guarantees of free and informed consent for any medical intervention are also necessary, as well as support for midwives from indigenous peoples and protection of communities from pollution.
Women themselves must participate in the development of these measures. “Establishing the truth, providing reparations, and institutional reforms should prioritize the interests of affected women and be carried out in a way that avoids retraumatization,” Baryum emphasized.
Independent experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council. They are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. The experts act in their personal capacity and independently from governments and any organizations.
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