Indigenous women leaders convene in Asunción to defend territories

Indigenous women leaders from across Latin America gathered in Asunción, Paraguay, from October 15 to 20 to develop a continental agenda focused on territorial and cultural defense. Under the theme “Ñandereko arandu, vivir desde la sabiduría,” representatives from Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Peru, the United States, El Salvador, Argentina, Colombia, and Paraguay participated in the summit.

Key demands raised during the meeting included access to dignified housing, quality healthcare, and the eradication of discrimination. Leaders emphasized that their communities are not merely vulnerable groups, but peoples facing the dispossession of their cultures and territories.

The summit's final declaration reaffirmed a commitment to food sovereignty, the protection of native seeds, water rights, and agroecology. Additionally, the participants called for the guarantee of rights for indigenous and peasant women to live free from violence and advocated for the recognition of indigenous self-governance and traditional knowledge.