The Role of Indigenous Women in Customary or Traditional Justice Systems/ Conflict Resolution Mechanisms
To the IDLO, Co-delegates of the UN Committee on the Status of Women, Guests, ladies and gentlemen, a pleasant morning to all of you.
As a member of the Philippine delegation and on behalf of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines, it is an honor to be to here.
Today, I will share with you the initiatives of NCIP regarding the roles of women in Customary and Information Justice (CIJ) systems and impart to you my firsthand experiences as a woman actively involved in these processes.
To introduce myself, I am Jennifer Pia Sibug-Las, Bo-i of the Obu Manuvu Indigenous Peoples Group and an adopted daughter of the Kalinga IP Group. Currently, I am the Ethnographic Commissioner for Central Mindanao and the Incumbent Chairperson of NCIP. I am an advocate of women’s rights and the applicability of customary laws, cultural appropriation, and recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ rights.
Such advocacy traces back to my roots, my father, the late Datu Joseph Guabong Sibug, is the first ICC/IP Philippines congress representative who fought for Indigenous Peoples recognition in the national and international arena during his lifetime.
With such purpose, I served as Tribal Affairs Officer and as Provincial Legal Officer for the NCIP North Cotabato Province, these experience gave me sufficient knowledge about the use of Customary laws as an Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanism to attain peace and unity within indigenous communities.
The Philippines is home to 110 ethnolinguistic groups and Indigenous Cultural Communities or Indigenous Peoples which consist of at least 14% percent of the total Philippines population. A safe estimate is that indigenous women are at least 50 percent of this Indigenous population.
Each of these groups have similarities but are also different from each other. It should be understood that the roles of the indigenous women, children, and men are defined by the indigenous communities or indigenous peoples themselves.
IN Conflict Resolution: Customary justice systems rely on the mediation and arbitration skills of respected community members, including women, to resolve conflicts effectively. IP women often act as mediators in disputes, drawing upon their interpersonal skills and knowledge of customary norms to facilitate dialogue and reach consensus among conflicting parties. Their involvement promotes fairness and inclusivity in dispute resolution processes.
Given this context, Indigenous women are initiators of the justice, or conflict resolution process itself. Them, being mothers to their family, expand their motherhood to their community as a whole. In a sense, a violation or crime in the community is often seen as a violation or crime not only against the family of the victim, but against the Indigenous community, thus the motherly role of Indigenous women transcends in these instances.
Coupled with this, Indigenous women know and understand their rights to initiate customary justice processes and the awareness of this rights greatly helps in giving redress or resolving conflicts in a timely and efficient manner. To give you an example:
In Talaingod, after 28 years of enduring conflict between the Salugpongan Revolutionary Council and the Ata Manobo Tribal Council of Elders. It was the women who initiated the Healing and Reconciliation.
Both parties returned to their roots to heal and reconcile through customary law. The symbol of a white chicken, known as “PAMALAS,” underscored the pure intentions and hearts of both parties as they jointly submitted to the conflict resolution, healing, and reconciliation ritual, marking a significant step towards peace and unity.
I am proud to say that the Philippine Indigenous Peoples Rights Act or IPRA provides that Indigenous women’s should have equal rights as men. Moreover, it recognizes the participation of Indigenous women in the decision-making process in all levels, as well as in the development of society.
Overall, Philippine IP women play multifaceted roles in customary informal and justice systems, serving as custodians of cultural heritage, community leaders, mediators, advocates for indigenous rights, and champions of gender equality.
We appreciate efforts and undertakings in this event and we resoundingly say that in deed and indeed, Indigenous women continue to lead the way.
Thank you and Mabuhay ang Bagong Pilipinas!
