The impact of our Amazon indigenous women leaders

Women's leadership is on the rise in the Amazon. Indigenous women are speaking up, rising and transforming their communities with courage, bold ideas and an unwavering commitment to the world.

^{©César David Martínez}

The Indigenous Women Leaders Program set out to build bridges between women undertaking socio-environmental initiatives in seven Amazonian countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname, and Peru. Its mission is to raise the voices of these women who are sharing their passion for a healthier territory and inspiring others to find theirs.

In the first meeting held the last week of April in Quito, Ecuador, the 24 grantees presented the results, challenges, and satisfactions of leading their own initiatives, but above all, they have formed a network of women who are weaving dreams of infinite possibilities. Their actions and words seek hope for their homes, their forests, their rivers, and the territory on which not only they, but all of us, depend.

Thanks to this grant, Elibeth Peredo in Bolivia promotes the conservation of the endangered blue macaw (Ara ararauna). A lot of their culture is built around this species, as well as the tourism it attracts and on which her community depends for their livelihood; "We are making a change in the communities and in the lives of the people around us in order to preserve this species" says Elibeth.

Similarly, at another end of the Amazon, in Colombia, Carmenza Yucuna, another grantee of this program, works together with 40 other women from the Mirití-Paraná indigenous community researching on the cultural and traditional value of a native sacred bee species found in their territory. "We transmit the knowledge of the importance of bees from our ancestors, and together with my colleagues we share it to protect the world," says Carmenza.

During the COVID-19 crisis, the leadership of Amazon indigenous women has become more evident than ever. They have taken on crucial care-giving tasks, using their traditional medicine. In Brazil, Samela Vilacio started a medicinal plant nursery to rescue their traditional use of medicinal plants, an initiative also shared by other grantees such as Maria Francisca Batista, from Bolivia, and Cecilia Martinez, from Peru.

^{©César David Martínez}

This leadership and collaboration of women around the world should be celebrated. These weavers of new dreams for their territories have found inspiration and motivation in others who share not only the same endeavors but also the same struggle to ensure the protection of their territories and its biodiversity.

This process also seeks to strengthen their participation in decision-making processes within and outside their territories. "We are a great diversity of peoples and great women and fighters who have been sacrificing a lot to be here. We have a purpose that guides us and calls us, and this space strengthens us to make our voices heard internationally," said Katty Guatatoca, a fellowship recipient from Ecuador.

The Amazon Women's Leadership Program, implemented by Conservation International as part of the Amazonia Verde project, is funded by the government of France and seeks to support socio-environmental initiatives of indigenous women in the Amazon, to dtrengthen their leadership through a mentoring program, peer-to-peer exchange and the creation of integrated networks in their respective communities.

^{©César David Martínez}