Guardians of Land, Life, and Justice
Indigenous women are on the front lines of defending the Amazon and leading powerful movements to protect their communities, cultures, and the climate. Amazon Watch stands in deep solidarity with these women, accompanying their leadership and supporting long-term strategies for gender, land, and climate justice.
The Women Defenders Program provides direct support and accompaniment to Indigenous women who are resisting extractive industries, advancing territorial rights, and building regenerative solutions from the ground up. We work in close partnership to amplify their voices, ensure their safety and well-being, and strengthen their leadership in movements for the Amazon and our collective future.
Our accompaniment includes:
- Leadership development and capacity building through training, convenings, and technical support to strengthen Indigenous women’s organizing, advocacy, and self-determination
- Safety, protection, and holistic well-being including accompaniment and legal support for women defenders facing threats, as well as resources for healing, care, and resilience
- Movement-building and alliance support by facilitating connections among Indigenous women across the Amazon for shared learning, strategy, and cross-border collaboration
- Visibility and advocacy to ensure that Indigenous women’s voices and solutions are heard in national and international spaces – from the U.N. to COP summits
Through this work, we help create the conditions for Indigenous women to lead with dignity, safety, and strength – defending not just the rainforest, but pathways toward justice and a livable planet.
Recent Highlights:
- Accompanying Indigenous frontline defenders in Peru: When Olivia Bisa Tirko, the first female president of the Chapra Nation’s autonomous government, received death threats for opposing oil extraction, she fled immediately with her three children. Within hours, Amazon Watch’s Amazon Defenders Fund (ADF) wired emergency funds to ensure their safe evacuation. Beyond crisis response, the ADF has supported Olivia’s leadership in protests at Peru’s Talara Refinery and in a 2024 U.S. delegation pressing financiers of Petroperú.
- Indigenous women’s leadership, healing, and strategy in Ecuador: Mujeres Amazónicas – women from Kichwa, Shuar, Shiwiar, Achuar, Sápara, Andoa, and Waorani nations – are advancing women’s rights across Amazonian communities. The ADF funded their International Women’s Day actions, including training, cultural events, and meetings with allies. It also supports the Casa de Mujeres Amazónicas in Puyo, Ecuador, a healing and organizing space designed and run by the women themselves.
Join us
If you are a donor, ally, or foundation interested in learning more or partnering with us to support Indigenous women’s leadership, please contact Caelin Weiss at [email protected].
