Afro- descendants in Latin America: Poverty, Inequality and Discrimination

ANNEX II

Where are they? Who are they?

A F R O -D E S C E N D A N T P O P U L A T IO NM IN IM U M A N D M A X IM U M E S T IM A T E S ( 1 ) O th e r S o u r c e ( 2 )

C O U N T R I E S M i n i m u m % M a x i m u m % % T o ta lB ra z i l 5 7 m i l l i o n 3 3 % 1 2 9 m i l l i o n 7 5 % 4 4 % 7 5 . 6 m i l l i o nC o lo m b ia 6 . 5 m i l l io n 1 5 % 1 8 m i l l i o n 4 3 % 2 1 % 9 . 1 m i l l io nV e n e z u e la 2 . 2 m i l l io n 9 % 1 7 m i l l i o n 7 0 %D o m in ic a n R e p u b l i c 9 4 6 , 0 0 0 1 1 % 7 . 7 m i l l io n 9 0 % 8 4 % 7 . 2 m i l l io nP e ru 1 . 6 m i l l io n 6 % 2 . 6 m i l l io n 1 0 %P a n a m a 4 0 6 , 0 0 0 1 4 % 2 . 2 m i l l io n 7 7 %E c u a d o r 6 4 5 , 0 0 0 5 % 1 . 3 m i l l io n 1 0 %N ic a ra g u a 4 6 8 , 0 0 0 9 % 6 7 6 , 0 0 0 1 3 % 9 % 4 6 8 , 0 0 0H o n d u ra s 1 3 4 , 0 0 0 2 % 3 3 5 , 0 0 0 5 %B o l ivia 1 7 0 , 0 0 0 2 %U ru g u a y 3 8 , 0 0 0 1 % 5 % 1 7 0 , 0 0 0C u b a 6 2 % 7 m i l l i o nF re n c h G u y a n a 6 6 % 1 3 2 , 0 0 0G u y a n a 4 4 % 3 9 6 , 0 0 0S u r in a m e 4 1 % 1 6 4 , 0 0 0H a i t i 9 9 % 7 . 7 m i l l io nJ a m a ic a 9 8 % 2 . 6 m i l l io nP u e r t o R ic o 1 9 % 7 4 1 , 0 0 0

( 1 ) S o u r c e : N o L o n g e r In v is ib le : A f r o - L a t in A m e r ic a n s T o d a y , e d ite d b y M in o r it y R ig th s G r o u p ; L o n d o n , 1 9 9 5 .

A c tu a liz e d w ith p o p u la t io n f o r 2 0 0 1

( 2 ) S o u r c e : T h e C IA W o r ld F a c tb o o k 2 0 0 1

A F R OA F R O -- D E S C E N D A N T P O P U L A T IO N D E S C E N D A N T P O P U L A T IO N IN L A T IN A M E R IC A A N D T H E C A R I B B E A NIN L A T IN A M E R IC A A N D T H E C A R I B B E A N

R E T U R NR E T U R N

The Afro descendant Population is concentrated geographically

Poverty Rates are higher than national average

Unemployment is higher

Life is Harder for Afro-descendant Women

0

200

400

600

800

Men Women

Median Income by Sex and Color of Respondent Brazil 1996

Whites

Afro-descendents

Infant Mortality is higher

0

20

40

60

80

Afro-Brazilians Whites

Infant mortality rates for Afro-Brazilians and Whites - 1996 - PAHO

Number per 1000 born alive

ColombiaInfant Mortality in Groups 1–4 (rates

for 1,000 live births)

Infant Mortality 1993Rate per 1,000 live births

24.2 54.3

22.93.8

0

20

40

60

80

100

Group of Municipalities

Total 49.01 34.56 41.02 28.31

Afro 70.78 37.82 81.76 49.85

Control 46.62 34.03 27.44 26.96

Gap 24.16 3.79 54.32 22.89

%Diff. 51.83% 11.13% 197.91% 84.89%

Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4

#

% of people

They are more vulnerable in situations of conflict

In Colombia 22 per cent of internally displaced people are Afro Colombians…their assets

are not protected.

Discrimination

In Qualitative research undertaken in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Afro descendants felt discriminated against in the education system, in the labor market, in obtaining housing, in the streets…in the political and judicial systems

Breaking the pattern of Inequality: Building a Rights Based Agenda…

• Leveling the field in secondary and higher education is fundamental....

• Improving health infrastructure to reduce maternal/infant mortality...

• Equalizing opportunities for medium and high level employment…special programs are needed.

• Expanding access to assets of Afro Descendant communities, particularly in rural areas ( land, biodiversity, credit..).

Building a Rights Agenda (cont.d)

• It is urgent to improve national statistics to reflect the situation of afro descendants on health, education, conflict, employment, participation in financial markets, etc.

• The Millennium Development goals must be a benchmark to measure poverty reduction among afro descendants..

Strengthening Civil Society

International Development institutions have a key role to play in supporting Afro Descendant NGOs- technically and

financially- and in strengthening community organizations.

Are you black? : No !!Your grandmother? Perhaps…

Ns/Nc10.1%

No86.9%

Si3.0%

Ns/Nc11.2%

No85.8%

Si3.0%

Breaking Sheer Discrimination

• Working with governments, civil society groups and the afro descendant community to understand and act upon (self) discriminatory patterns, attitudes and behavior…