Addressing Racial and Ethnicity-based Discrimination and Strengthening the Protection of Rural Afro-descendants

UNFPA supports data disaggregation as a tool to fight racism and ethnic discrimination

Challenges

About one in four Latin Americans self-identify as Afro-descendant today. Afro-descendants are over-represented amongst the poorest populations in the region especially those living in rural settings.

According to the Brazilian National Quilombo Coordination Offices, Quilombolas are ethnic-racial groups that have their own historical trajectory, endowed with specific territorial relations, with Afro-descendant ancestry related to resistance to the historical oppression suffered. They represented spaces where it was possible to maintain their cultural traditions and be free from colonial oppression. There are over 3000 Quilombo communities in Brazil today and many of the current rural African descendant communities in Brazil still reside in Quilombo. During slavery, Quilombo represented areas of resistance and freedom for Afro-descendent. They served as places of refuge, where unique culture and religion could be practiced. In 1988, the Brazilian constitution granted land rights to the descendants of these first Quilombo habitants. Despite this change in the constitution, and due to persistent racism, structural discrimination, and legal barriers, a vast majority of Quilombo communities still do not have land rights. It was only in 2018 that the Brazilian Supreme Court recognized legal mechanisms for accessing the right of land rights for these communities.

Despite some advances in the last decade, many Quilombo communities in Brazil still lack basic services and commodities such as running water, electricity, and access to safe and reliable roads. Heavy rains on poorly maintained roads often cut these population groups from accessing important social and health services. Poor access to basic services like running water, leads to inadequate sanitation and higher likelihood of transmission of life-threatening water diseases. It also increases girl’s school dropout and absentee rates due to limited access to water sanitation including for menstrual hygiene.

Education is compulsory for children between 6 and 14 years of age. Afro-Brazilians, though, have some of the highest rates of illiteracy. The majority of non-enrolled students in primary education tends to be in marginalized, rural communities including Quilombo communities. Education plays a central role in lifting communities out of poverty but in Quilombo, children do not have access to education and they are being robbed of future opportunities, including sustainable formal employment, financial and housing security. Low access to all levels of education, coupled with racism and structural discrimination are one of the main causes of inter-generational poverty for these communities.

There is also a general lack of health services available for these communities.  Afro-descendant women in Brazil are 2 to 3 times more likely to die of preventable maternal health causes. In Quilombo, communities' access to maternal health is difficult. Pregnant women have to travel long distances for examinations and access to quality specialized maternal care, including midwifery, prenatal and postnatal services. Another determining factor in access to health care for women of African descent is related to Institutional Racism. Even if they manage to get care at the health service centers, these women are less touched/cared for and receive less guidance. Additionally, members of the community also lack identity cards which prevents them from accessing important social services, including health and cash based-services. Inclusive disaggregated data that takes into account the location and numbers for these populations is an important and sin qua non step to address these inequalities.