Experiences Of Indigenous Women Research Articles

Ethnicity, Development and Gender: Tsáchila Indigenous Women in Ecuador

In recent decades, indigenous populations have become the subjects and agents of development in national and international multicultural policy that acknowledges poverty among indigenous peoples and their historic marginalization from power over development. Although the impact of these legal and programmatic efforts is growing, one persistent axis of disadvantage, male–female difference, is rarely taken into account in ethno-development policy and practice. This article argues that assumptions that inform policy related to indigenous women fail to engage with indigenous women's development concerns. The institutional separation between gender and development policy (GAD) and multiculturalism means that provisions for gender in multicultural policies are inadequate, and ethnic rights in GAD policies are invisible. Drawing on post-colonial feminism, the paper examines ethnicity and gender as interlocking systems that structure indigenous women's development experiences. These arguments are illustrated in relation to the case of the Tsáchila ethno-cultural group in the South American country of Ecuador.

Endurance of Aloneness Among Tibetan Indigenous Women in Western China: Application of Repeat Focus Group Discussions as a Tool for Empowerment and for Data Collection

In this article we describe Tibetan indigenous women's perceptions and experiences of their own health and life situation in Shichuan Province, China. Fifteen focus group discussions (FGDs) and 10 interviews were conducted. Repeat FGDs were used to empower the women and as a tool to collect data. Content analysis was used to analyze the data, and three subthemes were identified: ‘shouldering responsibility in family life,’ “enduring reproductive hardship and ill health” and “reflecting on the future.” The main theme, “experiencing aloneness,” contained two dimensions: “strength for surviving under extreme living conditions” and “negative influence on women's endeavor to maintain a healthy behavior.”

The spaces between: Partnerships between women researchers and Indigenous Women with disabilities

Purpose. To understand the experiences of Indigenous Australian women with chronic illnesses and disabilities and their views about a way forward in relation to partnerships in research and community-supported problem-solving.Method. Using a participatory action research framework, five Indigenous women participated in a group meeting and interviews with academic women researchers to discuss their health and disabilities in order to generate solutions that could address health disparities among Indigenous women.Results. Five themes describe the experiences of these Indigenous women when considering their personal histories, interactions with formal service systems, and their aspirations for the future: (i) Ongoing influence of history, (ii) systemic lack of respect, (iii) social context of health, (iv) moving forward in positive ways, and (v) research partnerships as a way forward. The data raised critical questions about the role of research, including, ‘Who has the right to tell the stories of the women?’.Conclusions. We show how a small research project conducted in collaboration with five Indigenous women developed into a significant research partnership and resulted in a better understanding of the issues that must be addressed by research in future. It is suggested that through such partnerships underserved women can best be served by research.