Host Organisation:

Cambodia Indigenous Women Association (CIWA), ONAMIAP (Peru), West Papua (Indonesia), Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI)

Description:

Across the world, Indigenous women are on the frontlines of climate and environmental defense, protecting forests, rivers, and ancestral lands that sustain the planet’s ecosystems. Their deep knowledge of the land, their roles as seed keepers and water guardians, and their leadership in community governance make them central to global efforts for climate justice and biodiversity conservation. Yet, they face increasing threats of criminalization, gender-based violence, displacement, and even killings for defending their territories and peoples.
In Cambodia, Indigenous women face prosecution for practicing traditional livelihoods such as rotational farming and are often targeted for resisting land grabs and large-scale development projects. Many experience gender-based violence and limited access to justice, while the loss of forests and farmland erodes their food security and cultural identity.
In Papua, Indigenous women are defending their forests and customary territories from deforestation, mining, and palm oil expansion. They face intimidation, restricted access to their lands, and marginalization in decision-making processes. Despite these challenges, Papuan women continue to mobilize for environmental protection and to uphold their communities’ spiritual and ecological connections to the land.
In Peru, Indigenous women resist extractivist projects that threaten their territories and ways of life. Through Indigenous cartography, they map sacred sites, water sources, and ancestral boundaries of transforming memory and cultural knowledge into tools for resistance, territorial governance, and legal defense. Their leadership affirms Indigenous women’s autonomy and their vital role in protecting both culture and nature.

Speakers:

Ms. Rocham Munny from Cambodia Indigenous Women Association (CIWA) – Cambodia
Ms. Dina from West Papua
Ms. Danitza Quispe, ONAMIAP
Ms. Elida de la Cruz, ONAMIAP
Mr. Albert Barume, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Languages:

English-Spanish