Indigenous people: Women take the lead in and out of their communities

The way we live is at stake due to climate change. There is no time to lose in this fight against its consequences and the irreversible changes. A new UN report says humans have warmed the planet to a level not seen in the last two thousand years. The UN Secretary-General calls the report “a code red for humanity”. 

If humans are to solve this existential crisis, it will be in large part thanks to the efforts and wisdom of indigenous peoples. 

Historically, they have identified themselves as respectful guardians and stewards of ancient cultural heritage and environmental diversity. Eighty per cent of the world’s remaining biodiversity is found on their lands.  

Whenever their resiliency is tested, indigenous women do not hesitate to take charge: 

Ecuador: Adapting to climate change  

“We know how to grow our orchards naturally without using chemicals. So we can contribute solutions to climate change, and we also encourage our children to maintain the forests, take care of the streams and creeks,” explains Mariela Casanova, an Awá indigenous leader. 

The border area between Ecuador and Colombia is home to several Afro-descendant and Awá communities. Together with other colleagues, Mariela Casanova keeps a strong commitment to conserving the Awá culture, strengthening their food security, and building resilience and adaptation to climate change. 

Parabiologist, Mariela, described her experiences working with indigenous communities: “I talked to the women in my community; they have a lot of ancestral knowledge about crops and how to take care of the environment.” 

Thanks to a binational project, Mariela has been able to deepen her knowledge of seed management, community gardens, reforestation, and so on. The project is led by the World Food Programme (WFP), with funding from the Adaptation Fund and assistance from UN Women, in coordination with government agencies. 

By tackling the pandemic and the challenges of climate change together, the Awá community is a role model for other communities. 

For more information, visit Ecuador.UN.org. 

Panama: United against adversity 

The banks of the Teribe river in Bocas del Toro province are home to the Naso Teribe people, one of the indigenous populations living between Panama and Costa Rica.  

On Panamanian soil, these indigenous people constitute a close-knit community of some 5,000 inhabitants spread over 20 villages, and they tend to avoid leaving their land. 

A family of three— Alfredo Sánchez, Cándida and Juan Quintero—count themselves among its members. They have been cultivating this land for years in the community of Bonyic, where the floods caused by the Teribe river have pushed many inhabitants into working for banana farms. 

With the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent working stalls on these third-party-owned farms, around seven families decided to use smaller plots of the community-owned land to grow cucumber, chili, tomato, vegetables, celery, oregano, lemongrass and corn. 

Together with other women, Cándida, 37, organized activities such as food sales to raise funds and buy agricultural inputs for their small family farms. 

Her crops are organic and chemical-free, which now help provide safe food for her seven children. Through this experience, she hopes to inspire other women in her community.  

According to official data, indigenous communities have the highest prevalence of acute malnutrition in children under five years of age (this figure for the entire Panamanian population is around 1.1%). For this reason, FAO and IFAD support strengthening indigenous families' capabilities towards productive inclusion, strengthening their livelihoods and improving their quality of life. 

For more information, visit Panama.UN.org. 

Venezuela: Seeding for Humanity 

Indigenous peoples are the best guardians of the forests in Latin America. According to recent data by FAO, indigenous peoples have succeeded in reducing deforestation rates, biodiversity loss and CO² emissions in their communities.

The short film, “Sembramos para la Humanidad: Los Kariña y la conservación de los bosques en Venezuela” (“Seeding for Humanity: The Kariña and the forest conservation in Venezuela"), produced by FAO, narrates how community efforts led by women have enabled the creation of TUKUPU, an indigenous enterprise founded by the Kariña. They live in 12 communities in the Imataca Forest Reserve with an estimated population of 1,799 inhabitants.

"We had conversations with our indigenous sisters and brothers about why we ourselves could not do our business in our own way, without destroying the environment… that is when decided to do it sustainably”, says Cecilia Rivas, whose leadership is recognized as the indigenous Kariña Captain for the first time in history.

Recognizing the valuable contribution of female leadership, and despite the pandemic, the Kariña indigenous men and women are working together to expand the quantity and variety of food they grow for their community to enrich their diet. The women are also marketing their products at the community market.

Since 2016, this project has been supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and executed by FAO and the government of the South American country, home to 51 indigenous peoples who represent 2.8 per cent of the total national population.

For more information, visit Venezuela.UN.org.

Indigenous peoples live on every continent. They account for around 5,000 cultures and represent more than 6 per cent of the world's population (476 million people living in 90 countries). Yet, they are almost three times more likely to live in extreme poverty than their non-indigenous counterparts.

According to the report released in March by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), community leadership and women empowerment make it possible to ensure and advance indigenous peoples' full potential and effective participation in society.

This article was adapted with the support of UN Women Ecuador, WFP Ecuador, FAO Panamá, IFAD Panamá, UNIC Panamá, GEF, FAO Venezuela and the dedicated members of the UN Country Teams in Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela. Translated by the Development Coordination Office. Editorial support by Carolina Lorenzo and Paul VanDeCarr of the Development Coordination Office. To learn more about the results of our work in this area and beyond, please read the UNSDG Chair Report on DCO.