More than 35 indigenous and Afro-descendant women from local communities and different territories of Mesoamerica participated in the II Summit of Indigenous Women of Mesoamerica.

This event took place from May 14-16, 2024 in Panama City, Panama. It was a space facilitated by the coordination of the Coordinadora de Mujeres Líderes Territoriales de Mesoamérica, the B'atz Project and Instituto De Liderazgo Simone de Beauvoir to strengthen their internal governance and learn in depth about the territorial agendas of their women leaders and their organizations in the context of the Regional Gender and Climate Change Plan. The summit highlighted the importance of governance, the articulation of different voices and intergenerational representation.

"We have been looking for alternatives to advance our agenda and focus on strengthening our rights and those of children, especially from the collective. Our work will always be constant and hard". Sara Omi Casama

Exchange and Reflection

The event was a space for exchange and reflection. Each participant presented her territorial agenda, including the number of women involved, their projects and projections. This allowed all the women to learn about each other's work, enriching the collective perspective. It concluded with a circle of listening and exchange, where they reflected on their common challenges and struggles.

They realized that their struggles and challenges are similar, and that their hearts are united in all our actions. Together, they are weaving an agenda that transcends borders, demonstrating solidarity and collaboration to drive change and justice in their communities.

"We have many similarities, we have realized that we all have the same struggles that sometimes we do not have a voice and vote, but we have to continue helping, for us and for other women who do not have certain knowledge to defend their rights." Meybi Chamarra - Coordinator of the Advisory Committee of Indigenous Women of Panama (CAMIP)

Gender and Climate Change Plan

For generations, women from Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities have played a fundamental role in the conservation of natural resources and the preservation of biodiversity in Mesoamerica. However, despite their significant contributions, they continue to face little or no funding, threats to our territories and ways of life, which makes them more vulnerable in an ever-changing world.

Every day, indigenous and local community women lead efforts to conserve and sustainably manage natural resources and produce food in harmony with nature. However, in many decision-making spaces that affect their territories, their contributions and solutions are neither recognized nor fairly remunerated. Proof of this is that women own only 13% of the world's land, despite the fact that we make up approximately 43% of the agricultural workforce.

For this reason, they created the Regional Gender and Climate Change Planwhich was the central axis of the conversations during the three days of the meeting. The roadmap built collectively responds to four axes:

1 - Empowerment of the Social Base and Advocacy of Mesoamerican Women of Mesoamerican Women: Promote empowerment processes with identity and secure funds and technical resources that allow women to be part of advocacy actions or dialogue and social management at all levels.

2 - Strengthening the Productive Capacity of Women and their Communities: Increase access to land and resource tenure for indigenous and local community women, and raise the productive management capacity of plots by strengthening the environmental adaptation and mitigation models already being developed in the territories.

Axis 3 - Management of Ancestral Culture: Preserving knowledge about ancestral practices of planting, conservation and management of natural resources, as well as botanical knowledge of medicinal plants.

Axis 4 - Investment and Financial Security: Build bridges for climate funds to include indigenous and local community women, while fostering actions to empower women and improve their financial well-being at the grassroots and territorial levels.

"Our plan is focused and inspired by a big leafy tree, full of fruits, prosperous, but to have this tree is a holistic vision of women to build this we have to strengthen the roots with institutional strengthening, in the Women's Coordinating Committee we need to strengthen technical and financial capacities to increase then the branches and fruits of the tree in well consolidated political processes, in processes of women leading policies, and bringing benefits to the communities." Isabel Pasos, Coordinator of CMLT

Other important points

The Minister of Government, Roger Tejada, symbolically delivered the organic charter of the Emberá Wounaan Comarca to Aulina Ismare, cacica of this territory, a milestone that strengthens and recognizes the autonomy of our communities. 

Presentamos el documental binacional «Guiadas por la Luna», sobre el proceso de rescate liderado por la Asociación de Mujeres Kábata Könana Talamanca Cabécar y la Asociación de Mujeres Artesanas Emberá. Heylin Sánchez de Kábata Könana y Lupita Omi de AMARIE compartieron su experiencia y trabajo en el rescate de sus sistemas de siembra ancestral. 

During the rest of the day, they had a working session on the Regional Gender and Climate Change Plan, exploring common factors with their institutional plans and consolidating a shared vision to create a roadmap and implementation.

Levi Sucre, director general de la Alianza Mesoamericana de Pueblos y Bosques, habló sobre el rol de la CMLT dentro de la agenda de la AMPB. El Instituto De Liderazgo Simone de Beauvoir facilitó un espacio de conversación y construcción colectiva para trabajar en la estructura y gobernanza interna. Las mujeres reconocieron que sus liderazgos son diversos, con habilidades únicas, y se enfocan en construir un liderazgo colectivo donde todas se sientan incluidas y escuchadas. Concretaron su junta directiva, seleccionada por medio de una asamblea, y también crearon un primer borrador de su organigrama.

Board of Directors

• President: Sara Omi - Association of Emberá Women Craftswomen (AMARIE)
• Vice-president: Guadalupe Leyva - Mexican Network of Forest Peasant Organizations (Red MOCAF)
• Secretary: Heylin Sanchez - Asociación de Mujeres Kábata Könana Talamanca Cabécar
• Treasurer: Candida Derek - Brus Laguna Miskita Indigenous Women's Organization (BLIMAT)
• Vocal 1: Nora Trino - Muskitia Asla Takanka (MASTA)
• Member 2: Margarita Loop - Community Forestry Association of Guatemala Utz Che'.
• Member 3: Amalia Hernández - Federation of Agroforestry Producers of Honduras (FEPROAH)

"If we can't make decisions, how are we going to continue our struggles? We are the voices of women in our territories." Nora Trino - MASTA

This event was made possible thanks to the support of the Mesoamerican Alliance of Peoples and Forests, and the support of Rainforest Foundation US, Proyecto B'atz, FSC Indigenous Foundation, Rights and Resources Initiative, and Global Alliance of Territorial Communities.

Together, we are weaving an agenda that transcends borders, demonstrating solidarity and collaboration to drive change, equity and justice in our communities.