Argentina launches program to empower women environmental defenders

The Asociación Ciudadana por los Derechos Humanos (ACDH), led by María José Lubertino, has opened enrollment for its Programa de Defensoras Ambientales. Backed by the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) and the Latin American and Caribbean Ecofeminist Network, the initiative aims to give Argentine women legal tools and knowledge of international environmental commitments such as the Escazú Agreement, climate, biodiversity and desertification conventions. Participants will be trained to monitor policy implementation, file complaints and influence decisions from local to national levels.

In parallel, the eco‑feminist collective Sur Territoria, active in the Araucanía region of Chile, highlights the role of women in defending Indigenous territories. Tamara Suyai Neculqueo Quintrileo, an Argentine‑born teacher now living in Curacautín, describes projects like the Ñenco Espíritu del Agua school, which teaches children and adults to perceive the land through water and cultural identity. The group links environmental protection with the ongoing struggle of Mapuche communities against land loss, displacement and discrimination.

Both efforts illustrate a growing movement that connects gender equity, Indigenous rights and climate action across Argentina and Chile.