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Amazonia Indigenous Women's Fellowship© César David Martínez
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Amazonia Indigenous Women's Fellowship© Marlon del Águila Guerrero
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Amazonia Indigenous Women's Fellowship© Sebastián Espín
About the program
LEARN MORE: https://www.conservation.org/about/fellowships/women-fellowship-opportunity-for-indigenous-women-leaders-in-environmental-solutions-in-the-amazon
The AIWF aims to promote the ideas and actions of Indigenous women to conserve the Amazon and maintain climate stability. It seeks to promote conservation, leadership, and environmental initiatives based on the knowledge of Indigenous women. The program provides the tools, training and funding needed to implement their initiatives, manage their territories, and promote the overall conservation of the Amazon.
Our History
Fellowship principles
- Improve gender balance in conservation decision-making.
- Foster innovation through local actions and Indigenous knowledge systems.
- Provide personalized guidance and mentoring to build women´s leadership.
- Promote the development of Indigenous women leaders’ networks.
In 2011, Conservation International's Indigenous Peoples program launched the Indigenous Leaders Conservation Fellowship.
Since then, various fellowships have flourished as an opportunity for inspiring leaders to access direct financing for learning and capacity building.
In 2021, the AIWF was launched to create opportunities for Indigenous women to lead conservation actions in the Amazon basin. The program recognizes the far-reaching roles of Indigenous women in their conservation efforts, land management abilities, biocultural innovations, and applied traditional knowledge and seeks to collaborate with funding, advisory, and networking opportunities.
Our scope
Ecuador, Perú, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, Suriname, Guyana
Our impact
61
Indigenous women participating
27
Women influencing decision-making
73
Indigenous organizations involved
Meet the fellows
Exchange: reproducing bees and knowledge
Indigenous women from Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia gathered to learn and share experiences in working with Amazonian Melipona bees.
Filomena Quispe, Bolivia
Learn more about Filomena, an Indigenous leader from Bolivia. From an early age, she fought to be heard and today, together with the women of her community, she is working to establish a community agroforestry system and encourage native beekeeping of Melipona bees.
Cecilia Martínez, Peru
Cecilia Martínez is a technical coordinator at the Federation of Native Yanesha Communities (FECONAYA). Becoming an example of self- confidence for young Yanesha women was the main reason that encouraged her to apply to AIWF program.