Study on Indigenous Women & Children in Guyana REPORT September 2017 Published by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) 72 Brickdam, Georgetown, Guyana. South America. www.unicef.org/guyana/ Unicef Guyana & Suriname UNICEF GUYANA & SURINAME United Nations Children’s Fund September 2017 Photo Credits: © UNICEF Guyana CONTENTS Contents . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. i Acronyms . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .iii Foreword ...................................................................................................iv Messages. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..v Message from the Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs .. ... ... ... .v Message from the Representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund . .. .. .. .. ...vi Acknowledgment. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. vii Executive Summary. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..ix Health . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. xiii Education . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. xv Language, Tradition and Culture . xvi Woman and Child Protection . xvii Women Empowerment & Adolescents Participation in Decision Making . xxi Climate Change and Emergencies . xxii Conclusions . xxiii Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................. 1 1 .1 Methodology . 2 1 .2 Study Limitations . 5 Chapter 2: Socioeconomic Situation of Indigenous Populations ................................6 2 .1 The Indigenous Population . 6 2 .2 Inequity among Indigenous Peoples . .14 2 .3 . Governance and Public Policies for the Indigenous Population . .19 Cooperation and Governance in the Indigenous Villages. .. .. .. .. .. .. 20 Chapter 3: Health .........................................................................................27 3 .1 Maternal and Child Mortality . .28 3 .2 Low Nutritional status of women and children . .. 30 3 .3 Elevated incidence of Diseases . .33 3 .4 HIV/AIDS . .36 3 .5 Behavioural Health: Suicides . 40 3 .6 Factors influencing the right to health among Indigenous Peoples . 41 (i) Low levels of antenatal, delivery and postnatal care .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 42 (ii) Low Quality of Health Care at Village Level. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .45 (iii) Lack of Vaccination . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 49 Guyana - Study on Indigenous Women and Children i (iv) Poor water, sanitation and hygiene .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 51 (v) Difficulty in Accessing Health Facilities . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...54 (vi) Lack of transportation . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 55 (vii) Cultural Factors. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .56 Chapter 4: Education. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .59 4 .1 School Attendance . .. 60 Factors influencing school attendance and dropouts . .70 . (i) Lack of secondary schools and difficulty in accessing them . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...70 (ii) Financial situation of the families .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 73 4 .2 Quality of Education . 79 Factors influencing Quality of Education in the hinterland. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...82 (i) Lack of qualified teachers and proper learning resources. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...83 (iii) Language Barriers . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...91 (iv) Inadequacy of the Curriculum . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...93 Chapter 5: Language, Tradition and Culture . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .95 5 .1 Factors influencing Language use, Tradition and Culture . .99 Chapter 6: Woman and Child Protection ...........................................................101 6 .1 Birth Registration . .101 6 .2 Violence, Neglect and Abuse against Indigenous Women and Children . 104 6 .3 Teenage Pregnancy . 117 6 .4 Trafficking, Sexual Exploitation and Child Labour . 124. 6 .5 Response to Violence and Abuse . 133 Chapter 7: Women’s Empowerment & Adolescents Participation in Decision Making .. 137 Women’s Empowerment . .139 Adolescent Participation in Decision Making . 143 Chapter 8: Climate Change and Emergencies . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 146 Chapter 9: Conclusions. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 151 Annexes. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .158 Annex 1: Child Population in Guyana . .158 Annex 2: Government Programmes for Indigenous Peoples . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 159 Annex 3: Profile for the villages visited . 160 Annex 4: Summary of Interviews by village . 164 Annex 5: Indigenous Nations in Guyana . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 165 Annex 6: The Sustainable Development Goals . .167 Annex 7: Bibliography . .168 ii ii Guyana - Study on Indigenous Women and Children ACRONYMS Acronym Definition Acronym Definition ADF Amerindian Development Fund HPV Human papillomavirus ANC Antenatal Care HRO Health Regional Officer APA Amerindian Peoples Association ICT Information and Communication ARI Acute respiratory infection Technology ATV All-Terrain Vehicle ILO International Labour Organisation BBSS Biological Behavioural Surveillance Survey IRS Indoor Residual Spraying CARPHA Caribbean Public Health Agency ITMN Insecticide-treated mosquito nets CDO Community Development Officer LACRO Latin America and Caribbean Regional CDP Community Development Plan Office CHW Community Health Worker LLIN Long-Lasting Insecticidal Treated Nets CPCE Cyril Potter College of Education MDG Millennium Development Goals CPD Community Development Plan MICS Multi-Indicator Cluster Survey CRC Convention on the Rights of the Child MOE Ministry of Education CSEC Caribbean Secondary Education MoIPA Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Certificate Examination NGSA National Grade Six Assessment CXC Caribbean Examination Council NPHRL National Public Health Reference DDO District Development Officer Laboratory DEO District Education Officer NTC National Toshaos Council DHO District Health Officer ORS Oral Rehydration Salts DHS Demographic Health Survey PAHO Pan-American Health Organisation ECD Early Childhood Development PHC Primary Healthcare ECE Early Childhood Education PMTCT Prevention of Mother to Child EFA Education for All Transmission ERO Education Regional Officer PNC Postnatal Care ESL English as Second Language PNM Post-Neonatal Mortality GARPR Guyana AIDS Response Progress Report REO Regional Executive Officer GBV Gender-based Violence SDGs Sustainable Development Goals GGMC Guyana’s Geology and Mines Commission SitAn Situation Analysis of Children and GNP Gross National Product Women GRIF Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund UNDP United Nations Development Programme GRO General Register Office USD United States Dollar HEYS Hinterland Employment Youth Service WASH Water, Sanitation and Hygiene HFLE Health and Family Life Education WHO World Health Organisation HIES Household Income and Expenditure Survey Guyana - Study on Indigenous Women and Children iii FOREWORD Indigenous Peoples, including women and children, are at the heart of everything we do, and the issues that affect them inform our priorities. It is therefore with a sense of deep satisfaction that I acknowledge the completion of the Study on Indigenous Women and Children. This is the first time the Indigenous Peoples of Guyana have been studied to this extent and this report contains solid information to guide programmes and projects aimed at improving their wellbeing. The Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana continues to model evidence-informed actions to reduce deprivation for all its peoples, especially the most vulnerable. This administration looks forward to continued partnerships with developmental and Hon . Minister Sydney Allicock other partners, to ensure a good life for all Guyanese. This report will support the Government in the development and implementation of Guyana’s Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) and Programmes, aimed at advancing the realisation of the rights of children with an emphasis on equity and on reaching the most vulnerable children and their families. We are pleased with the partnership between Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs (MoIPA) and UNICEF, which has contributed to the completion of this document. The Ministry’s ownership and leadership of this initiative have further strengthened its relationships with sister Ministries including Public Health, Education, Social Protection and Communities. The National Toshaos Council, the University of Guyana and the Bureau of Statistics, were especially critical to this process. It would be remiss of me not to mention the individuals who were central to the teamwork for this study. I recognise the stellar contributions of Hon. Minister within the MoIPA, Ms. Valerie Garrido-Lowe; the Permanent Secretary of MoIPA, Mr. Alfred King; the Project Coordinator of MoIPA, Ms. Jude Da Silva; the Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist.