CATIE promotes national dialogue to reduce gaps in higher education in Indigenous territories of Costa Rica

• The workshop shared the results of a case study on access, retention, and graduation conditions of the Indigenous population in higher education in Costa Rica and highlighted the differentiated barriers faced by Indigenous women.

On February 17, CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) held a workshop to present the results of the diagnostic study on the educational trajectories of Indigenous people in higher education institutions, within the framework of the regional project “Towards the construction of inclusion policies for Indigenous peoples, especially women, in higher education institutions and academic research in Central America.”

The project is led by the Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Superiores en Antropología Social (CIESAS) of Mexico, with funding from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada. In Costa Rica, the initiative is coordinated by CATIE, while in Guatemala it involves the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala and in Belize the Galen University.

The diagnostic study analyzed educational trajectories at four key stages: admission, retention, dropout, and graduation, and assessed the influence of individual, family-community, and institutional factors. The research combined quantitative data with interviews conducted with individuals from 23 Indigenous territories and from Sixaola.

The findings show that exclusion does not stem from isolated situations, but rather from structural conditions within the education system. Of the 49 individuals interviewed, only 8% graduated from university and 12% dropped out. In addition, 45% of those who enrolled had to leave their territory to continue their academic education.

Among the main barriers identified are the geographic distance to university campuses, socioeconomic conditions, limited connectivity, unequal quality of secondary education in Indigenous territories, the complexity and limited support in administrative procedures, and persistent racism. Twenty-eight percent of respondents reported having experienced discrimination due to their language, 22% due to their physical features, and 18% within academic spaces.

The study also highlights that Indigenous women face “triple discrimination” associated with their ethnic origin, gender, and socioeconomic condition. Traditional expectations related to caregiving and domestic work, combined with forced migration to pursue studies, increase the likelihood of academic dropout. In this regard, the need for specific measures was emphasized, such as differentiated scholarships, childcare services, flexible schedules, and effective anti-discrimination protocols.

The workshop brought together 34 representatives from Indigenous organizations and student movements, public universities (UCR, UNA, TEC, and UNED) and private institutions (Universidad EARTH), state institutions, and international organizations. Participants validated the findings and worked in dialogue groups to build joint solutions and define concrete contributions that they expressed they could promote in the short term to begin implementing them.

“Indigenous education is not a gift from the State; it is the right for our roots to flourish in classrooms. We are not here to follow a predetermined path, but to build together a path where all voices can defend the right to Indigenous education. It means understanding that the classroom must speak more than one language and feel more than one culture. The future of our education is not dictated; it is built hand in hand, together, community by community,” said Rebeca Quirós, an Indigenous woman who participated in the workshop.

Cristina Fueres and William Menchu, who led the workshop on behalf of CATIE, noted that reducing gaps in higher education requires sustained collaborative work among communities, universities, and public institutions, with each actor assuming a concrete commitment.

“I congratulate CATIE for this first step, for beginning to address an issue that concerns Indigenous territories and peoples,” stated Thalía Jiménez, an Indigenous woman who participated in the workshop.

As next steps, CATIE will systematize the results of the process. Based on this, CATIE will facilitate relevant connections and coordination among local actors and institutions capable of contributing to each prioritized solution and will organize a new meeting together with the Subcommission on Peoples and Territories of CONARE in order to ensure follow-up on the proposed actions.