Women in the British Indian Ocean Territory

Women in the British Indian Ocean Territory who are properly known as Chagossian women, Îlois women, or women of Chagos Islands, were the native inhabitants of the British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago). They were among the people who once was described in the 1950s as islanders who, along with Chagossian men, were "born and brought up on the islands". Their status as "native people" of the Chagos Islands was recognized by the United Nations, and they were living on the archipelago since 1776, being descendants of African slaves brought to the islands from Mauritius in 1786 by the French. Others arrived as fishermen, farmers, and coconut plantation workers during the 19th century. Apart from having mostly African ancestry, particularly coming from Madagascar, Mozambique and other African nations including Mauritius, other Chagossian women also have a significant proportion of Indian and Malay ancestry.
Notable women
Notable women from the Chagos Archipelago are Lisette Talate and Charlesia Alexis.

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