CEDAW · General Recommendation 39
Indigenous Girls, Youth and Women
CEDAW General Recommendation No. 39 is the result of decades of struggle, advocacy, and leadership by Indigenous Women around the world.
From recommendation to action
Turning GR39 into sustained action
Now we move from recognition to action.
Through FIMI, together with regional networks, organizations, leaders, young women, allies, and communities, we work to advance its implementation and demand that States uphold our individual and collective rights.
The framework
About CEDAW and General Recommendation 39
What is CEDAW?
CEDAW is the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, one of the most important international human rights treaties for the protection of women and girls. States that ratify it are legally bound to eliminate discrimination and adopt concrete laws, policies, and measures to guarantee substantive equality, rights, and accountability.
What is General Recommendation No. 39?
CEDAW General Recommendation No. 39 (GR39) is the first interpretation by the CEDAW Committee focused specifically on the rights of Indigenous Women, Girls, and Young Women. It acknowledges the intersecting and systemic forms of discrimination they face based on gender, age, Indigenous identity, racism, exclusion, and colonial legacies.
GR39 provides authoritative guidance to States on the legal, policy, and institutional measures required to respect and fulfill their individual and collective rights, including rights to effective participation, free, prior and informed consent, protection from violence, access to justice, land, territories, natural resources, culture, and Indigenous worldviews.
Why is it key?
GR39 is a powerful political and legal advocacy tool. It strengthens our ability to demand that States move beyond commitments on paper and take real action through laws, public policies, budgets, implementation measures, and accountability mechanisms.
For FIMI, GR39 is a framework to advance the rights of Indigenous Women, Girls, and Young Women from the local to the global level — grounded in our voices, our priorities, and our collective struggles.
From the territories to the world
From our territories to international spaces
We walk together so that GR39 translates into concrete policies, programs, resources, and action for Indigenous Women, Girls, and Young Women.
Together we organize
Diverse voices, multiple realities, one shared commitment
We come from different territories, and we share one common path: advancing the effective implementation of GR39 from our voices, priorities, and territories.
Gallery
Our Voices, Our Journey
Join us
Are you part of an Indigenous Women’s Organization?
Be part of the implementation of GR39. Whether you are already taking action or looking for ways to get involved, we would love to hear from you.
A collective movement for change
In collaboration with
