8-12 October 2021
NPWJ welcomes the holding of the first Summit of Women from the Amazonian Basin which took place on 8-12 October 2021. It was a unique occasion, where 170 women from all across the Amazonian region came together for a common goal: to protect and save Amazonia and find solutions to stop its deterioration. Furthermore, as their voices had been silenced for a long time, they sought to give visibility to their role, by showing the world the great contribution that indigenous women have in the protection of the rainforest and by sharing their personal experiences, joys, and sorrows.
The objective of this summit was to deal with five key issues which were: the current situation of Amazonia, defence of the territory, human rights, own economies as well as the impact of COVID alongside their strategies to face it, and to try to find solutions altogether.
The event resulted in the emergence of the Indigenous Women’s Movement of the Colombian Amazon and the construction of the agenda of the women of the Amazon basin. Moreover, participants agreed to protect 80% of the Amazon by 2025, and to continue to work together, sharing and learning from each other, all through the implementation of a series of objectives, as per example:
– The creation of a network of Indigenous Women Defenders of the Amazon Territory, which will seek to strengthen the struggle for the defence of the territory and women;
– The development of the Indigenous Women’s Movement of the Colombian Amazon, which aims to recognize the role of women in this struggle;
– And the obtention of parity in the participation of women in all decision-making spaces.
No Peace Without Justice supported the event because we believe that building bridges in the Amazon is a key action to strengthen the fight against illegal activities in their territories and to support and give more visibility to the communities most affected by them.
- Read the Outcome Document (pdf format)
Background
Through its campaign against deforestation in the Amazon, launched in 2019 with the support of the Nando and Elsa Peretti Foundation and local partners, NPWJ is at the forefront in the protection of the rights of indigenous peoples and against the impunity for ecocide and environmental damage in the region. One of the main objectives of the campaign is to raise awareness about the effects of climate crimes such as land grabbing, deforestation or water pollution as well as to promote accountability’s venues for holding those responsible for crimes against nature and its defenders accountable. This should be a priority on the agenda of all those who recognize the importance of this forest for the ecological balance of the planet and for the preservation of native peoples, flora and fauna, heritage of humanity.
For further information, please contact Juan Guzman, Amazonia Project Associate (juzman@npwj.org) or Nicola Giovannini, Press & Public Affairs Coordinator on ngiovannini@npwj.org.
