Indigenous women are leading the way

All over the world, Indigenous women are leading life-changing movements for their rights, lands, and communities. They’re fighting against mining companies, forced sterilisations, digital violence, and more. In this blog, we’re highlighting just a few of their incredible achievements made with our support. 

By Annette Farshchi, writer at Mama Cash 

Resisting injustice as a community 

‘The people united will never be defeated!’ This chant rings out across the Philippines through the voices of the BAI Indigenous Women’s Network. BAI brings together Indigenous women leaders from across the country who are defending their rights to land, natural resources, and self-determination. They formed this network in response to repressive regimes and forced displacements. 

‘In some areas, we’re fighting against mining companies that are destroying our ancestral lands,’ says National Coordinator Kakay Tolentino. ‘In other regions we’re standing against the construction of dams along major rivers.’ 

‘Without forests, rivers, and land to live and grow food on, we have nothing.’ 

To sustain these fights, BAI trains women and girls from Indigenous communities in advocacy, public speaking, campaign development, leadership, and digital skills. Many participants start with little formal education and low confidence, but with collective support, they learn to speak out and act. As Tolentino says, their real strength lies in working together, in resisting injustice together as a community. 

Centring leadership 

Working together has also been at the heart of the International Indigenous Women’s Forum. For 25 years, they’ve been advancing the recognition of Indigenous women’s rights and their well-being, bringing together Indigenous women leaders from around the world. The group works with Indigenous organisations, networks, and women leaders to amplify their voices. They are guided by respect for traditional knowledge, intergenerational wisdom, solidarity, and alliance building,  
 
One of its key initiatives is the Ayni Indigenous Women’s Fund, which directs resources to organisations led by Indigenous women. In the Quechua and Kichua languages, ayni means reciprocity, equality, and justice, and that’s exactly what these groups focus on. The fund also works with the philanthropic sector to make sure funding better aligns with the needs of Indigenous communities. That means protecting their rights, improving living conditions, and caring for our planet. 

Changing the world 

The efforts of the BAI Indigenous Women’s Network and the International Indigenous Women’s Forum show the broad reach of Indigenous women’s organising. But they are just two examples of what’s possible when feminist groups and movements come together to organise, mobilise, and act. Indigenous women are making change on many fronts. Let’s look at three areas where their work is creating lasting impact: 

Fighting for fair pay and decent work 

In Guatemala, nearly half of domestic workers are Indigenous women. Here, the Asociación de Trabajadoras del Hogar a Domicilio y de Maquila (Association of Domestic, Home-Based, and Factory Workers) has formed the country’s first domestic workers’ union. With over 3,000 members, it has helped create unions for factory and sex workers. These long-term collaborations are helping Indigenous women become more visible, gain stronger rights, and build leadership across movements and borders. 

Pushing back against gender-based violence 

In Nepal, ‘Indigenous women don’t have access to justice,’ according to Ritu Thapa, Treasurer of the Indigenous Women Legal Awareness Group. This collective, made up of Indigenous women legal experts, supports survivors of domestic, sexual, and digital violence. ‘Very few women go to court,’ Thapa explains. ‘Many face taboos and stigma and suffer alone.’  

To change this, the group works within Indigenous communities to raise awareness, offer support to survivors of violence, and push for Indigenous women to be heard in decisions about land, natural resources, and the environment. As Chairperson Indira Kumari Shreesh puts it: ‘When Indigenous women unite, we become a powerful force in securing transformative change at all levels.’  

Protecting the earth 

While some battles are in courtrooms, others are on the frontlines of fighting environmental destruction.  

In Bolivia, the Red Nacional de Mujeres en Defensa de la Madre Tierra (National Network of Women in Defence of Mother Earth) works to advance the rights of women and the environment. They support Indigenous, Mestiza (mixed ethnicity), and campesina (peasant) women whose communities are harmed by mining and other extractive industries. The group helps women build leadership and advocacy skills and believes that violence against women and harm to the Earth are deeply connected forms of injustice.  

Let’s do this together 

This is just a small sample of how Indigenous women all over the world are changing laws, building safer communities, and protecting the environment. They do this despite being vastly underresourced and often overlooked by funders. With the right support, they can drive change that helps communities far beyond their own.  

At Mama Cash, we’re proud to support their efforts. Want to get involved? Donate today and help support Indigenous women’s leadership and movements.