Bonaire Human Rights President to United Nations: Defend Native Women and Girls of Bonaire

On the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, Davika Bissessar Shaw president of Bonaire Human Rights Organization proudly participated and presented a statement to the Interactive Multi-Stakeholder Hearing, held recently at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action that was adopted at the World Conference on Woman in 1995 by 189 countries and is a landmark global commitment to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. It outlines a strategic framework across 12 key areas—such as education, health, violence, and political participation—and calls on governments and civil society to take concrete action to eliminate discrimination and ensure equal rights and opportunities.

Davika Bissessar Shaw presented the following statement on behalf of the people of Bonaire on the urgent realities of children and youth living under ongoing colonial conditions, and highlighted its Human Rights Youth and Children Program — a bold, community-driven initiative aimed at fostering dignity, equality, and civic participation among the next generation.

Statement:

Bonaire is a small Caribbean island that continues to face serious challenges under a colonial framework. But despite these obstacles, we are working hard to build a future where our children and youth grow up with dignity, equality, and the knowledge of their rights.

Our Human Rights Youth and Children Program is dedicated to education and empowerment. Beginning with the upcoming school year and continuing through 2030, we will launch a series of initiatives focused on young people, using community-based outreach and engagement through civil society, organizations, churches, and other local platforms. The goal is to educate the next generation on the core principles of human rights, equality, and civic participation. We firmly believe that education is the foundation for lasting, meaningful change.

We’re also training teachers to bring human rights values across the community at large. This means preparing educators to help students think critically, understand justice, and respect diversity — so they can become leaders who uplift their communities.

However, we’re doing this while facing deep structural inequalities. For example, at the only secondary school on the island, our children are denied the right to be taught in their native language, Papiamentu. The Dutch-controlled education system does not reflect our identity or cultural context, and this exclusion undermines our children’s development and human rights.

That’s why we continue to raise our voices internationally — not only for Bonaire but also for other colonized and marginalized communities in the Caribbean. As a member of the CARICOM Reparations Commission and a UN-accredited organization, we are building partnerships with regional and international allies to push for justice, decolonization, and youth empowerment.

We call on the global community to recognize that decolonization and gender justice are deeply connected. Without the right to self-determination, our children’s rights — especially girls’ — will always be at risk.

The Bonaire Human Rights Organization is committed to taking bold steps to educate, empower, and protect its youth—but we cannot do it alone. We call for global solidarity to ensure that no child and no community is left behind.

Bonaire Human Rights Organization