Violence and discrimination against indigenous adolecent girls in basic education, Chetumal

Abstract

This article analyzes gender violence, sexual harassment and discrimination in the classroom of an urban school through the experiences of indigenous descents adolescent girls in the city of Chetumal, Quintana Roo. Quantitative and GIS methods were used, with information from the 2010 Population Census to identify the indigenous population in the city, and information from the 2013 Census of Schools, Teachers and Students of Basic and Special Education, were used for the diagnosis and selection of schools. The qualitative analysis was based on information collected through semi-structured interviews and participant observation. The findings  show that female students are exposed to violent and discriminatory behaviors, and that the invisibility of indigenous ancestry is one of the difficulties they encounter to name themselves and pointing out acts of racism and discrimination.