As part of the International Women’s Day celebration, we held a panel discussion dedicated to the challenges women face in environmental conservation and community work in rural areas. This space not only recognized the crucial role of women in biodiversity protection but also aimed to strengthen their leadership and make their contributions visible across different territories worldwide.
The event featured the participation of three outstanding conservation leaders: Paola Londoño Castañeda, from Mujeres de los Territorios del Agua; Keshia Molineros Banguera, Coordinator of the Mujer, Fuerza y Vida (MUFUVI) Foundation; and Rita Vilca Lucana, Executive Director of Amazónicos por la Amazonía. Through their interventions, they shared their experiences and strategies to strengthen women’s roles in territorial defense and sustainability.
During the discussion, Paola Londoño presented the initiative “Jardines que Curan” (Healing Gardens), a project that promotes health through medicinal gardens and community collaboration. She also highlighted the importance of support networks, such as “Mujeres de los Territorios del Agua”, which facilitate knowledge exchange and coordinated efforts to protect the environment. Additionally, she mentioned the Inírida Declaration, a key initiative to make the needs of women in conservation visible and to drive concrete actions for their empowerment.
Keshia Molineros Banguera addressed the difficulties women face in rural areas, including gender-based violence, lack of opportunities, and the burden of family responsibilities. She emphasized the importance of creating safe spaces for women to share experiences and strengthen their empowerment through networks like “Guardians of the Territory.” She also underscored the need to promote sustainable economic alternatives, such as the production of handicrafts using recycled materials.
From Peru, Rita Vilca Lucana stressed the urgency of ensuring women’s inclusion in the conservation of the Andean Amazon, overcoming structural barriers, and promoting their equitable access to decision-making processes and technological tools. She emphasized the importance of active female participation in environmental management and the need to support women in their leadership development.
This panel served as a call for collective action and collaboration, reaffirming that gender equality and biodiversity protection are deeply interconnected. On this special day, we reaffirm our commitment to women’s leadership in nature conservation and to creating spaces that foster their active participation in wildlife protection.
Empowering women, protecting nature!
