The participation of women in decision-making on territorial management, the creation of collaborative networks and innovation in socio-environmental solutions based on ancestral knowledge were the selection criteria for this new edition of Conservation International's Amazon Indigenous Women’s Fellowship Program, which is implemented with the support of the Government of France, together with local partners.
Indigenous women play a key role in the administration of territories and communal politics, but persistent barriers remain, such as land and resource rights, access to formal education, and full and effective participation in decision-making processes. The Amazon Indigenous Women’s Fellowship Program is an opportunity for women leaders to strengthen their skills and develop initiatives related to environmental conservation and climate change, while generating economic income and revaluing their culture. More than 50 women have joined this Amazonian program, which offers them the possibility of managing a fund, accessing tutoring, training and mentoring, and establishing networks.
The program seeks to strengthen the leadership of Amazonian indigenous women through the development of competencies, building spaces for exchange and dialogue, and promoting networks that consolidate conservation and improve living standards in the communities. The selection of the second group of scholarship recipients began in February 2022 and the activities are expected to last until May 2023.
One of the particularities of this edition is that six of the grantees belong to Communal Reserves. The communal reserves are a Category of Natural Protected Area (NPA) unique in the world, created under an innovative model of co-management between the Peruvian State and indigenous populations. This category allows indigenous communities to manage these areas and make direct use of natural resources in a sustainable manner.
Here are the winners of this second edition.
Cecilia Martínez - Yanesha Village - Pasco Region
Agronomist and Coordinator of the technical team of the Federation of Native Yanesha Communities (FECONAYA). Her project proposes to form a school for women leaders, identifying young women who are in the last years of secondary school, giving workshops on leadership training and self-esteem to the young participants.
María Elena Paredes - Ashéninka People - Ucayali Region
Environmental promoter at Upper Amazon Conservation. Maria Elena is a specialist in community conservation. Her project proposes to develop a sustainable life plan to improve the quality of life of the 37 families of the Sawawo Hito 40 community, along with activities aimed at combating the advance of illegal loggers and deforestation in the Yurua area. Through the creation of a local cooperative, it promotes local handicrafts, the care of fauna and flora, forest monitoring and territorial management against the appearance of illegal roads that allow the entry of illegal agents affecting the ecosystem.
Mirna Rengifo - Yaguas Town - Loreto Region
Community watcher and former president of APAFA (Parents' Association) in her community of Yanayacu. Mirna is a leader in her community and wants to improve the technology and harvesting of local products such as the charapita chili bell pepper. The objective of her project is to have training to transform the charapita chili bell pepper into different presentations. To achieve this, Mirna and other women and men in her community must obtain sanitary registration for the commercialization of the products, have adequate infrastructure and equipment in the necessary materials and equipment that will allow them to professionalize their work and generate more income.
Kathy Ruiz - Huitoto Murui Peoples - Loreto Region
Leader of the Remanso community in Bajo Putumayo. Because the community has lost ancestral knowledge about crops, it does not feed itself adequately. In addition, forgetting ancestral planting techniques has caused the loss of forests and impoverished the soils. In addition, the remoteness of the area makes the prices of products in general more expensive. Faced with this situation of food insecurity, the leader proposes the implementation of integrated farms that prioritize local foods and crop diversity that prioritize community food.
Claudia Flores - Huitoto Murui Peoples - Loreto Region
Treasurer of her community Tres Esquinas and of the Local Association of Artisanal Fishermen. The area where Claudia and the 9 families that make up the community live is affected by illegal fishermen who affect the oxbow lakes and break the reproductive cycle of local species. In this way, food security is also violated because the community depends on what nature has to offer. The chelonian (taricaya turtle) repopulation project will not only rehabilitate the natural cycle of the local species, but will also improve the nutrition of the local population and provide extra income through the sustainable sale of non-viable taricaya eggs.
Zoyla Ochoa - Huitoto Murui People - Loreto Region
Recognized by the Ombudsman's Office as a woman environmental leader. She has also been head of her community, as well as of the Federation of Native Communities of the Nanay River. Since the age of 19, Zoyla is aware that the new generations of her community are suffering a loss of cultural identity (such as their indigenous language), their ancestral knowledge and good environmental practices. To change this situation, she promotes virtual workshops to reinforce indigenous identity and care for the environment through popular social networking groups among the youth of her community and local teachers.
Ema Tapullima - Kukama Kukamiria People - Region Loreto
Apu of the Puerto Prado community in Loreto. The main activity that the leader wants to promote is the reactivation of the community's tourism activity, especially among the women of the local artisan association. By repairing infrastructure, marking trails, making administrative improvements and acquiring special equipment for tourist guides, income will be generated to improve the local quality of life. Tourists visiting them will not only be taught not only knowledge, but also how to care for the forest.
Angélica Peña - Bora Village - Loreto Region
Community leader and community leader of the 'Boras de Colonia' community. Faced with the crisis caused by the pandemic, the community had little economic income to be able to acquire medicines for the treatment of the population's illnesses. Angélica Peña does not want this to happen again. The solution is to rescue the ancestral knowledge of medicinal plants of the wise men and women of her community. Then, to elaborate a vademecum with this knowledge of the use of medicinal plants in the Ampiyacu River basin. Also, the registration of community health agents and the support of the public health system will ensure an improvement in community health.
WINNERS IN COMMUNAL RESERVES
Patricia Campari - Asháninka People - Huanuco Region
Head of the Las Golondrinas Native Community and treasurer of ECOSIRA (Executor of the Administration Contract of the El Sira Communal Reserve). She hopes to contribute to the formalization of an association of women artisans in her community and to the development of the capacities of women leaders of the communal reserves with the execution of complementary activities. Among the proposed activities is the development and marketing of local jewelry to be offered at fairs and local, regional or national spaces, as well as capacity building of the cocoa value chain as a mechanism for financial sustainability.
Kelly Patiachi - Harakbut Village - Madre de Dios Region.
Treasurer of ECA Amarakaeri (Executor of the Administration Contract of the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve). Through the implementation of the "Amarakaeri Women Conserving our Forest" program, she aims to reforest 3 hectares of the native community of Shintuya and empower a group of women as environmental defenders. The area is severely affected by illegal loggers. To combat this threat, the women community members must be trained in reforestation and climate change, because the latter is affecting tree growth by changing planting times.
Ubaldina Korinti - Matsiguenga Village - Cusco Region.
Secretary of ECA Maeni (Executor of the Administration Contract of the Machiguenga Communal Reserve). Implement good post-harvest practices for native cocoa derivatives with women producers of the Koribeni Native Community. Among the cocoa-derived products that the indigenous women plan to produce are chocolates, pasta, liquor, and artisanal panela.
Herlita Crispin - Yanesha Village - Pasco Region
Member of the ECA AMARCY (Association for the Management and Conservation of the Yanesha Communal Reserve). Through the promotion of the participation of Yanesha women in the value chain of criollo cacao with the new chocolate brand "Koyanesha" (woman in the Yanesha language). To this end, the women producers will be trained and will participate in events to market their production. The participating women come from the native communities of Alto Iscosazín, Santa Rosa de Chuchurras, 7 de junio and Loma Linda Laguna.
Leydi Pinedo - Mastanahua Village - Region Ucayali
Member of ECOPURÚS (Executor of the Administration Contract of the Purús Communal Reserve). Aims to strengthen the capacities of Mastanahua women through the promotion of a cooperative work network. This will be achieved through workshops and training courses where they acquire leadership and management skills, defense of their rights and territories, sustainable resource management, proper administration of funds, and technology management. The participating women come from the native communities of Catay, Sinai and Bola de Oro.
Isabel Barboza - Asháninka People - Cusco Region
Treasurer of the Board of Directors of ANECAP (National Association of Executors of Administration Contracts) and vice president of the Executor of the Administration Contract of the Ashaninka Communal Reserve (ECO ASHANINKA). Since 2017 in ANECAP they have wanted to have a Women's Program to promote the work with the women leaders of the communal reserves. This project will build the guidelines on which this program can be developed, and thus move forward with capacity building and leadership building of indigenous women in the country.