Stories And Solutions From Climate Women In Lima During COP20

In Lima, Peru during the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change COP20 – Indigenous women land defenders and community leaders from across the Americas and around the world gathered at a Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network to speak out against issues of social and ecological violation affecting their homelands, and to share their stories and calls to action for justice. Amongst many topics, presenters including Gloria Ushigua (President of the Association of Sapara Women in Ecuador); Hueiya Alicia Cahuiya Iteca (Vice President of the Huaorani nationality of Ecuador); Tantoo Cardinal (Native Canadian actress and activist); Nina and Patricia Gualinga (Kichwa Pueblo of Sarayaku); Mrinalini Rai (Indigenous advisor and gender expert from Nepal, working with the Global Forest Coalition); Casey Camp Horinek (Ponca Nation elder and Counci lWoman); Sonia Guajajara (National Coordinator of Brazil’s Association of Indigenous Peoples); and Nino Gamisonia (Rural Communities Development Agency in Abkhazia, Georgia) discussed the impacts of oil extraction, mining and mega-dams on biodiversity, global climate and Indigenous territorial integrity.  Photo credit: Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network