During the 3rd March of Indigenous Women, themed “Ecosystem Women in Defense of Biodiversity through Ancestral Roots,” demonstrators took to the streets of Brasilia calling for the protection of women’s rights and defending their right to Indigenous lands. Sineia do Vale, the national coordinator for Brazil’s Indigenous Committee on Climate Change, stresses that climate change is deeply interconnected with social and cultural issues and that their objective is to manage their territories in accordance with their traditional knowledge. The displacement of Indigenous people changes their way of life and prevents them from accessing local resources to remain self sufficient, resulting in higher rates of disease, alcoholism, malnutrition and suicide, according to Survival International. Women are involved in family farming at high rates, and are most often responsible for domestic duties, experiencing the effects of climate change much more directly. The organizers of the march proudly highlight the increasing visibility of Indigenous women and their role in the defense of their territories.
