La lucha de las mujeres indígenas del departamento del Vaupés en la garantía del goce efectivo y ejercicio pleno de sus derechos

Abstract

This document offers an interdisciplinary analysis of the structural situation of Indigenous women in one of Colombia’s most diverse, remote, and excluded departments: Vaupés. In this context, the document examines how these women face a double marginalization—based on both their gender and ethnic identity—which severely hinders their access to fundamental rights, particularly in the areas of education, health, justice, political representation, and community participation. The analysis interweaves international legal frameworks (such as ILO Convention 169, CEDAW, and the American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples), the Colombian constitutional system, and Indigenous customary law (including coexistence manuals and traditional justice systems). A key finding is that, although a robust legal framework exists on paper, its effective implementation is obstructed by intercultural miscommunication, weak state institutional presence in rural areas, and the persistence of patriarchal structures—both within the state and traditional Indigenous governance systems. Furthermore, the study delves into gender roles and stereotypes, showing how these are socially constructed and, in Indigenous contexts, deeply interwoven with ancestral cosmologies. Although the female role has historically been linked to environmental stewardship and cultural reproduction, its legitimacy has been minimized both by Western models and by internal norms that restrict women’s access to decision-making spaces.