In March 2025, Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI) and longtime Channel grantee partner the International Indigenous Women’s Forum (FIMI) released a powerful new tool, a Guide to CEDAW’s General Recommendation No. 39 on the Rights of Indigenous Women and Girls. This landmark resource provides practical tools and analysis for Indigenous women and their organizations to engage with CEDAW and assert their individual and collective rights on national and international platforms.

The guide arrives at a critical moment. Despite longstanding advocacy, Indigenous women and girls continue to experience multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination rooted in colonial legacies, gender inequality, and systemic violence. GR39, adopted by CEDAW in October 2022, is the first international human rights instrument to fully recognize the distinct identities, experiences, and rights of Indigenous women and girls. It bridges the gap between women’s rights and Indigenous Peoples’ rights, recognizing that the full realization of either is impossible without the other.

Grounded in extensive consultations with Indigenous communities, GR39 affirms the centrality of rights to self-determination, land, culture, and free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC). It recognizes that discrimination against Indigenous women and girls arises not only from gender bias, but also from the erosion of their collective rights and cultural sovereignty. Violations of these rights—from forced displacement to denial of participation in decision-making—are explicitly named as forms of gender-based discrimination under international law.

The newly released guide by IPRI and FIMI breaks down how GR39 can be used in practice, including how to submit shadow reports, individual communications, and inquiries to CEDAW. It outlines the legal frameworks of CEDAW and UNDRIP (United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples) and explains how GR39 offers an authoritative interpretation of binding treaty obligations. Importantly, the guide urges Indigenous women and communities to interpret and adapt the guide to their specific realities, emphasizing that it is meant to be a living document.

The Channel Foundation celebrates this essential resource, which serves as both a strategic tool and a declaration of the leadership, resilience, and dignity of Indigenous women and girls. GR39 is not just a legal recommendation—it is a call to action.