Supporting Women Environmental Defenders in the Time of COVID-19

May 5, 2020 | Sara Vigil and Bernadette P. Resurrección
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Both the feminist and environmental movements are amongst the most prominent challengers of this commodification. However, environmental defenders face discrimination, violence and high risks, especially women environmental defenders, who face specific gendered challenges rooted in patriarchal cultural norms.

Recently, SEI Asia, through the Strategic Collaborative Fund, supported a project called Silver Linings: Transforming Gender Relations through Climate Adaptation Networks. It gathered indigenous women from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar to share their experiences and to build common purpose.

The workshop, co-organized with Cuso International and the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact, highlighted the need to empower and strengthen the capacity of indigenous women to negotiate and to amplify their voices. It also underscored the need to document and disseminate practices to strengthen leadership and promote South-South and global dialogue and exchange.