The fellowship was designed by our Indigenous Women's Committee to support Indigenous women to promote gender equality, improve the socio-economic well-being of women in their communities, advance Indigenous Peoples’ collective rights, and contribute to enhancing their role as leaders, thereby contributing to local durable support and guardianship of territories.
Project: Training on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples for Tuareg Women
Aicha Walet Ahmed has been an activist dedicated to the rights of Indigenous Peoples for the past ten years. She has built a solid professional background in strengthening the capacities of Indigenous women leaders, promoting education in nomadic environments, and combating gender-based violence. She works closely with local structures and organizations to implement projects in Tuareg communities, benefitting Indigenous women. During her fellowship, she aims to enhance the knowledge of Indigenous Peoples’ rights, enabling women to assert their voices, needs, and roles in the future management of the socio-political and economic development of their regions, which are currently devastated by conflicts.
“My project consists of having information sessions on the concepts of Indigenous rights for Tuareg women in Mali. (…) The training project will allow Tuareg women to be better equipped to promote their voices, their needs and their roles in the future management of the socio-political and economic development of the region.”
Project: Enhancing Awareness and Collective Actions of Indigenous Women for the Defense of Land, Food, Resources and Rights in Ifugao, Philippines
Audrey Rose Corce was a youth organizer from 2006-2013 and has been a full-time organizer of Indigenous communities, particularly Indigenous women, from 2014 to the present. She is, currently, Secretary General of Innabuyog, the alliance of Indigenous women’s organizations in the Philippines’ Cordillera Region. During her fellowship, Audrey is working to elevate the awareness and understanding of Ayangan peasant women regarding the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) process in connection with the Alimit Hydropower Complex, enabling them to engage effectively in this process. Additionally, she aims to sustain the active involvement of Ayangan peasant women in the related decision-making processes within their communities.
“I expect that the fellowship will significantly contribute to our broader goal of empowering Indigenous women at the grassroots level. Personally, this fellowship will help me build more confidence in organizing and advocating for the rights and welfare of Indigenous women.”
Project: Strengthening the Right to Self-Determination of the Chibuleo People and Food Sovereignty Led by Women
Carmen Chalán has been a leader of local organizations, where she has led training programs in leadership and the protection of the rights of girls, teenagers, and women. She was a candidate for the Rural Council of Ambato, in the Province of Tungurahua. Currently, Carmen is the President of the Chibuleo San Francisco community, where she oversees the administrative processes of the entire Indigenous territory, promotes the creation of legislation to maintain order within and outside the community, and coordinates and administers justice in internal conflicts. For her fellowship project, she is working to strengthen the right to self-determination and food sovereignty of the Chibuleo People through training workshops and monitoring the care processes for medicinal plants and vegetables.
“Nowadays, we as women have to be trained to be leaders and hold positions in public institutions. For this reason, as a fellow, I am here to support and work with the seven communities of my people, theChibuleo. My expectation for the future is to better qualify myself and gain more experiences at a national and international level.”
Project: Empowerment of Ogiek women on renewable energy as means of combating climate change crisis
Eunice Chepkemoi holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in community development and a certificate in Project Management. She has been working on issues related to Indigenous Peoples for more than ten years. For the past seven years, she has been serving at Ogiek Peoples Development Program (OPDP) as the Gender and Youth Officer. Her role entails empowering women and young people in all facets of life, and mainstreaming gender in all programs. She is part of the Indigenous Women’s Council in Kenya and participates in the Defender’s Protection Working Group. Additionally, she represents the OPDP on matters related to housing, land, and natural resources at the Women’s Working Group of the ESCR-Net. She was also appointed to the East Africa Region Council at the ICCA Consortium. Her fellowship project aims to increase advocacy for renewable energy use among Ogiek women, promoting sustainable and inclusive renewable energy practices and enhancing environmental conservation.
“Being part of a network that brings together the Indigenous women across the globe, with a focus on information sharing, we believe that, in the end, we will be able to form a very strong movement, which will help in pushing forward the voices of the Indigenous women across the globe.”
Project: Warmikunapa Tarpui: Strengthening the Leadership of the Inga Reservation of Yunguillo by Creating a Seedbed of Women Defenders of Our Territories
Isabel Becerra holds a psychology degree and is currently studying Social Innovation and Project Management. She is the founder of the Corporación Alianza Étnica Internacional, an organization that fosters solidarity among individuals and social groups, focusing on cooperative development efforts and supporting initiatives that enhance living conditions and recognize the environment as a rights-bearing entity in ethnic communities. Previously, she worked at the Association of Indigenous Women Chagra de la Vida (ASOMI), a women-led organization that focuses on traditional medicine practices.. For her fellowship program, Isabel aims to strengthen the leadership of Inga women in the Yunguillo reservation by creating a seedbed of women defenders of their territories. The project envisions a peaceful yet firm approach to facing land threats, denouncing illegal activities and demanding political and legal advocacy.
“The project ‘Leading with Identity’ (…) involves topics, such as leadership, project management, public speaking, and the influence of women on internal and public policies. Moreover, the work is carried out in the context of armed conflict, where women have suffered and now strive to reclaim their joy.”
