Home Highlights 2026 ParlAmericas Launches New Caucus to Champion the Rights of Indigenous Women and Girls

ParlAmericas Launches New Caucus to Champion the Rights of Indigenous Women and Girls

May 19, 2026 | Activity

Photo Credit: Christian Diotte and Daniel Martineau, House of Commons of Canada

Across the Americas, Indigenous women and girls continue to face intersecting forms of discrimination rooted in gender inequality, racism, and historical injustice, resulting in persistent human rights violations that affect their safety, wellbeing, and access to justice. These structural barriers have a direct impact on political life, not only limiting Indigenous women’s full and effective participation in decision‑making but also weakening the inclusiveness and legitimacy of democratic institutions.

Against this backdrop, on 19 May 2026, Indigenous women parliamentarians from Latin America and Canada, alongside parliamentarians from across the hemisphere committed to advancing the rights of Indigenous women and girls, gathered in Ottawa, Canada, on the margins of the ParlAmericas 22nd Plenary Assembly and 10th Gathering of the Open Parliament Network to strengthen dialogue and take a decisive institutional step forward: the formal establishment of the Caucus on the Rights of Indigenous Women and Girls, within the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network on Gender Equality (PNGE).

Convened by ParlAmericas, the meeting served as a dedicated interparliamentary forum to support coordinated action grounded in Indigenous women’s leadership, collective rights, and democratic inclusion. In this context, Antares Vásquez (Mexico), President of the PNGE, underscored the significance of the initiative as a timely and necessary step to translate longstanding regional commitments into sustained parliamentary action, while also recognizing the leadership of Senator Margo Greenwood (Canada) in advancing the proposal and stepping forward to serve as one of the Caucus’s inaugural co‑chairs.

Through a combination of high‑level dialogue and exchanges grounded in listening and reciprocity, participants exchanged experiences from their respective national contexts, reflecting on pathways to political participation. In this context, Chief Dr. Wilton Littlechild, Cree Chief and former Canadian parliamentarian, reflected on Indigenous‑led regional advocacy and the development and implementation of international standards, including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, while Alejandra Mora Mora, Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission of Women of the Organization of American States, shared insights and regional data on the work being advanced within the Inter-American system regarding the rights and participation of Indigenous women.

A central outcome of the meeting was the endorsement of an initial roadmap to guide the work of the newly established Caucus. The roadmap identifies shared priorities, including advancing Indigenous women’s full and effective participation in parliamentary and public decision‑making; addressing intersecting forms of discrimination; promoting respect for free, prior, and informed consent; and supporting the harmonization of national legislation and parliamentary practice with international and inter‑American human rights standards.

Participants agreed on the Caucus’ inaugural co-chairs, naming Member of the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil Sônia Guajajara alongside Canadian Senator Margo Greenwood, reflecting a commitment to shared leadership across sub‑regions. In their remarks, Senator Greenwood framed the Caucus as an important step toward sustained parliamentary cooperation on Indigenous rights and leadership, while Deputy Guajajara emphasized that Indigenous leadership is deeply connected to community, identity, memory, and collective responsibility.

The establishment of the Caucus reinforces regional efforts to address the human rights challenges faced by Indigenous women and girls, and marks an important step toward sustained, coordinated parliamentary action to advance the rights and wellbeing of Indigenous communities across the hemisphere. It also reflects ParlAmericas’ broader commitment to advancing gender equality and upholding the human rights of all people, while deepening open parliament practices that enable more transparent, inclusive, and participatory democratic institutions. By creating space for Indigenous women’s leadership and voices to shape decision‑making, the Caucus contributes to building parliaments that are more representative, responsive, and reflective of the communities they serve.

Photo Credit: Christian Diotte and Daniel Martineau, House of Commons of Canada
This activity was made possible thanks to the generous support and hospitality of our host, the Parliament of Canada, together with financial support from the Government of Canada, through Global Affairs Canada.