The Indigenous World 2026: Defending the Rights of Indigenous Women

Written on 22 April 2026. Posted in Defending the Rights of Indigenous Women

Indigenous women number some 238 million worldwide –approximately 6.2% of the global female population– and play an essential role in protecting territories, cultures and ancestral knowledge. However, they continue to face profound and structural challenges.

Violence and criminalization disproportionately affect Indigenous women and girls. In Canada, for example, more than 4,000 have been reported missing or murdered in recent decades, a widely recognized crisis. Globally, Indigenous women defenders suffer threats, criminalization and attacks for defending their lands and resources, with particular severity in Latin America, where murders of women environmental leaders are on the rise. This violence combines factors of gender, Indigenous identity and territory, and often occurs with impunity and a lack of access to justice.

In the regulatory sphere, there has been significant but insufficient progress. The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007) sets fundamental standards for the protection of the rights of Indigenous Peoples although its implementation remains uneven. Only 24 States have ratified ILO Convention 169, the only binding instrument on Indigenous rights. A significant step forward was taken in 2022 with CEDAW General Recommendation 39, the first international standard to comprehensively address the rights of Indigenous women and girls, reinforcing State obligations in the areas of participation, land, health, education and protection from violence.

Taken together, this picture reflects both the magnitude of the challenges and the opportunities that exist to advance towards the full recognition of Indigenous women's rights.

This article is part of the 40^th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. Find The Indigenous World 2026 in full here

Introduction

Over the last few decades, Indigenous women have consolidated a solid and coordinated global movement capable of influencing a number of the global decision-making spaces. From their territories to multilateral forums, their leadership has woven local, regional and global networks that are defending peace, collective rights and the continuity of their cultures. Among these networks, the International Indigenous Women's Forum (FIMI), created 25 years ago, is noteworthy. It brings together women leaders from seven socio-cultural regions and has become a key player in promoting political participation, strengthening grassroots organizations and raising awareness of the demands of Indigenous Peoples.

These networks –such as the Continental Network of Indigenous Women of the Americas (ECMIA), the Asian Indigenous Women's Network (AIWN), the Network of Indigenous Women in Asia (NIWA), the Indigenous Women's Organization of Africa and the Pacific Indigenous Women's Network– play a strategic role in collective processes of territorial defence, community peace and human rights. Through their sustained work, Indigenous women held active positions in spaces historically closed to them in 2025, such as the UN Security Council, climate negotiations, and national peace talks, demonstrating that peacebuilding is also driven from the territories and up towards the international arena.

With a quarter of a century of global coordination, Indigenous women continue to show that their leadership is indispensable for advancing towards a more just, diverse and sustainable world.

International Indigenous Women's Forum (FIMI): a quarter of a century weaving peace and security from Indigenous diversity

FIMI's advocacy at the UN: building peace from the contributions of Indigenous women

During 2025, FIMI advocated in different UN spaces for inclusive mechanisms whereby Indigenous women could fully participate in conflict prevention, peacebuilding and community security.

Earlier in the year, at the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69), held in March at UN headquarters, FIMI and its allies promoted a peace and security agenda for global discussion. There, Indigenous women from around the world demanded greater visibility, participation and funding to combat the multiple expressions of violence, inequality and discrimination that affect them.^[1]

They denounced the fact that extractivism, the militarization of territories and so-called exclusionary “climate solutions” are generating new forms of violence against Indigenous women.^[2] The Indigenous delegates demanded guarantees of protection for women environmental defenders –who face criminalization and attacks for protecting their lands–, as well as respect for free, prior and informed consent in all actions affecting their territories.^[3]

FIMI emphasized the importance of including Indigenous women in high-level debates and ministerial forums so that their proposals and recommendations can guide public policy.^[4] In the presentation of the Global Report on the State of Indigenous Women's Rights at the CSW, FIMI highlighted an alarming fact: one-third of the defenders killed in 2024 were women, exposing the extent to which gender-based violence is suffered in Indigenous communities.^[5] Faced with this reality, the women leaders demanded that States adopt laws and policies with sufficient resources to guarantee the rights of Indigenous women and girls, eradicate violence and ensure their collective rights –including access to land and self-determination. As Tarcila Rivera Zea, president of FIMI, concluded, Indigenous women must be recognized “as part of the solution and not just as a problem or group receiving assistance”^[6] in peace and development efforts.

During the 24^th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (April 2025, New York), a global interregional and intergenerational dialogue dedicated to Indigenous women's rights took place for the first time.^[7] This space recognized that fully integrating Indigenous women's voices and leadership is essential for a sustainable future.^[8] In this context, prominent women leaders highlighted the contribution of Indigenous women to the resolution of global challenges.^[9] Colombia’s Environment Minister, Lena Yanina Estrada, summed up the collective vision by stating: “We are owners of the territories, not guardians. Defenders of life, builders of peace.”^[10] This statement reflected the consensus at the UN that Indigenous women not only preserve cultures and environments but also lead peacebuilding processes in their communities, defending life and proposing solutions to the climate crisis, violence and other threats.

The new UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, Dr. Albert K. Barume, endorsed this view in his October 2025 report. Barume highlighted the “urgent need for stronger recognition and protection” of Indigenous rights –particularly in terms of territorial demarcation, legal recognition and protection from criminalization and violence- stressing that such rights “significantly contribute to [the...] security” of both Indigenous Peoples and society as a whole. He also called for a paradigm shift, urging States to stop considering Indigenous Peoples as marginal actors in international security.^[11]

Indigenous women have longstanding generational experience of conflict resolution, community justice, mediation and peacebuilding, based on their ancestral knowledge and practices of caring for life. However, they have historically been ignored in Security Council resolutions and other international forums. Even when their role is recognized, they are often excluded from discussions and formal decision-making processes on peace and security.

Lasting peace is therefore linked to respect for collective rights and women's leadership in defending land and territories.

During the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP30 in Belém, Brazil, together with its allies, the FIMI co-organized the Global Summit of Indigenous Women and Youth. This historic meeting brought together more than 200 women leaders from different continents to consolidate a global agenda that strengthens the links between climate justice, peace and security from the perspective of Indigenous worldviews, emphasizing that the protection of life and territories is inseparable from lasting peace for Indigenous Peoples.

In the political declaration adopted, the participants reaffirmed that there can be no climate justice or community security without full recognition of the collective rights of Indigenous Peoples and the effective participation of women and youth in decision-making processes, especially on issues of climate finance, protection of women defenders and defence of territories, this latter being a key expression of comprehensive security and sustainable peace for their communities. They also demanded direct, simplified and culturally-appropriate financing mechanisms that respond to their strategic priorities and guarantee the economic and territorial security of Indigenous women as pillars of peace in their communities.

Another significant and symbolic advance in 2025 was the international recognition of the fundamental role of Indigenous women. In November, the UN General Assembly officially adopted International Day of Indigenous Women (to be celebrated every 05 September).^[12] This historic proclamation –the result of years of advocacy on the part of Indigenous women and their allied organizations– is an act of memory, justice and commitment. The corresponding resolution honours the “strength, wisdom and leadership” of millions of Indigenous women across the seven socio-cultural regions of the world,^[13] recognizing their contributions to the defence of territories, the protection of languages and cultures, the transmission of ancestral knowledge and community organization. FIMI welcomed this decision as a fundamental step forward and urged that the new International Day serve to reaffirm the responsibility of States to eliminate the racism, discrimination, violence and inequalities still faced by Indigenous women.^[14]

It should be noted that, in 2022, another international mechanism –the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)– adopted General Recommendation No. 39, a pioneering instrument that recognizes the individual and collective rights of Indigenous women and girls. The adoption of this recommendation involved the design and implementation of a Plan of Action to ensure the commitment of States through policies and budgets for Indigenous women and girls.

Indigenous women weaving peace in their communities: meetings and actions to strengthen the fabric of peace

In 2025, the FIMI celebrated its 25^th anniversary as a global mechanism for Indigenous coordination and leadership, recognizing a quarter of a century of collective struggle for the rights, justice and political participation of Indigenous women from their diverse worldviews. Between 19 and 21 June 2025, Lima, Peru thus welcomed women leaders from the seven socio-cultural regions of the world to a meeting that was much more than an historical commemoration: it was a space for memory, reflection and strategic planning to strengthen the role of Indigenous women in peacebuilding, territorial security and multilateral policies. Under the slogan “Weaving together for our rights”, the participants paid tribute to the founders, shared lessons learned and reaffirmed that international advocacy and community action were two sides of the same struggle for the comprehensive peace of our peoples, in which respect for collective rights, self-determination and the protection of territories are fundamental pillars of security and peaceful coexistence for present and future generations.

This link between the global and the local was not limited to the commemorative sphere. While pushing for change in the international arena, Indigenous women also continued to build peace and security from the community up throughout 2025. They are leading local initiatives in different regions aimed at conflict resolution, restorative justice, violence prevention and intercultural dialogue, often linking these efforts with their global advocacy.

One notable example is that of Felicitas Martínez Solano, a Me'phaa (Tlapaneca) leader from Guerrero, Mexico. A pioneer in implementing community justice systems, Martínez Solano was the first woman coordinator of the CRAC-PC Community Police of San Luis Acatlán. Under her leadership, the communities have consolidated a model of Indigenous justice based on re-education and social reintegration, in contrast to the punitive approach of the State.^[15] This community system allows for an immediate response to minor offences, establishing its own rules and sanctions. Instead of long prison sentences, offenders are encouraged to repair the damage and contribute positively to the community during the day while serving short periods of detention at night.^[16] The results have been remarkable: according to Martínez Solano, this approach is not only more effective in the Indigenous context but also represents significant savings for the Mexican State, by reducing court and prison costs.^[17] Although the Mexican Constitution recognizes Indigenous jurisdiction, Felicitas notes that, in practice, many of these rights still remain “on paper only”.^[18] Her tireless work nonetheless demonstrates how ancestral justice can strengthen local peace, resolving conflicts by repairing the fabric of the community and reducing violence. The example of Felicitas Martínez –which was even reported in the international media in 2025–^[19] is inspiring other Indigenous women to reclaim their own normative systems as a contribution to security and peaceful coexistence.

Indigenous women have also taken on leading roles in national peace processes in Latin America. One such important precedent was the participation of Colombian Indigenous women leaders in the 2016 Peace Agreement between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), ensuring the inclusion of an ethnic and gender approach in the implementation of peace.^[20] In 2025, these same women leaders –organized in networks such as Indigenous Women for Peace– continued working to ensure that the Agreement's commitments were being implemented in the territories, from land restitution to illicit crop substitution programmes. Similarly, in Peru, young Quechua women such as community court interpreters are contributing to peace and justice by breaking down language barriers in the courts.^[21] Their work guarantees the right to a fair trial for Quechua speakers and prevents conflicts arising from cultural misunderstandings in the legal system. These interpreting and support actions enable disputes to be resolved with respect for Indigenous identity, reinforcing the communities' trust in the State justice system.

In Africa, Indigenous women have led processes of peacebuilding and social transformation.^[22] In some regions of the Sahel and East Africa, for example, it is the women who mediate local conflicts over access to water and pasture, drawing on their traditional knowledge of resource management. FIMI points out that, thanks to women's leadership in such initiatives, community agreements for peaceful coexistence between herders and farmers have been reached, thus reducing inter-ethnic violence. In addition, policies against harmful practices –such as child and forced marriage– and in favour of girls' education have been promoted by Indigenous women in African countries, contributing to safer and more inclusive societies.^[23] The election of several female Indigenous councillors in Uganda was a transformative event in 2025, an unprecedented development that “changes power structures from the ground up”.^[24] The presence of Indigenous women in Ugandan local government not only raises the visibility of their communities but also opens up opportunities to address social conflicts from an intercultural and gender-based approach, thus strengthening peace in these territories.

In the Asia-Pacific region, young Indigenous women combined their international advocacy with the implementation of local dispute resolution projects based on Indigenous custom. Such is the case of communities in Nepal where, in the absence of the State, Tharu women have organized community peace committees to mediate family conflicts and ensure the safety of women and girls. In the Pacific Islands, Indigenous women have been at the forefront of community-based climate resilience initiatives (e.g., developing traditional “Power System” models of resource management), on the understanding that environmental degradation generates tensions that can escalate into conflict.^[25] By addressing the climate crisis with local and culturally-relevant solutions, these women leaders are also preventing future scenarios of insecurity and displacement.

It is important to note that many of these efforts are taking place in contexts of persistent structural violence. Defending their territory from extractive interests often places Indigenous women at risk. In Canada, for example, the reality of more than 4,000 missing or murdered Indigenous women and girls highlights the intersection between gender-based violence (GBV), racism and State neglect.^[26] In Latin America, militarization and socio-territorial conflicts continue to threaten the lives of community leaders: in 2023 alone, dozens of Indigenous women defenders were criminalized or attacked for opposing mining and oil projects. In response, FIMI and its partner organizations redoubled their international reporting of these cases and created solidarity networks for the protection of women defenders. One example was FIMI's support for the urgent call to stop repression and militarization in Amazonian communities, where Indigenous women warned that security cannot be achieved through State violence but only through respect for dialogue and the autonomy of the peoples.

Despite the challenges, Indigenous women have strengthened their spaces for collective care and healing among themselves, recognizing that their emotional well-being is a pillar that sustains the struggle for peace. One example of this is the feminist resilience circle organized by the “Leading from the South” consortium, where strategies for self-care, holistic protection and mutual support were shared in the face of intensifying multiple crises (climate, health, political).^[27] These intercultural practices of care –woven from community values– are in themselves acts of peacebuilding as they reverse the impact of violence and reinforce the bonds of solidarity across borders.

Conclusion

Peace and security are not foreign concepts to Indigenous Peoples but are deeply intertwined with their vision of balance and harmony, as well as with their struggles for life, land and dignity. Indigenous women's activities at the UN and other international mechanisms have succeeded in highlighting urgent demands: an end to violence and discrimination, protection for women defenders, respect for their territories and the right to participate on equal terms in all peace processes. At the same time, from their communities, Indigenous women have undertaken exemplary initiatives for conflict resolution and justice, demonstrating to the world that ancestral knowledge offers sustainable solutions to the current global crises.

Indigenous women are weaving our voices together from the most remote corners of the world to the halls of the UN, making it clear that “our history does not die, our word does not end”.^[28] We are the ones who, with threads of resistance and hope, continue to open paths of justice, dialogue and reconciliation for our peoples. If 2025 taught us anything, it is that there can be no peace without Indigenous women; with us, peace has stronger roots and a more inclusive horizon for all.

The International Indigenous Women's Forum (FIMI) is a global network that brings together Indigenous women from seven socio-cultural regions. FIMI is focused on advocacy, capacity building, economic empowerment and leadership development.

This article is part of the 40^th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. Find The Indigenous World 2026 in full here

Notes and references

^[1] FIMI. “Mujeres Indígenas de todo el mundo reclaman más visibilidad y fondos contra la violencia.” https://fimi-iiwf.org/noticia/mujeres-indigenas-de-todo-el-mundo-reclaman-mas-visibilidad-y-fondos-contra-la-violencia/

^[2] FIMI. “Desde nuestros territorios hasta la ONU: Incidencia de las Mujeres Indígenas en la CSW69.” https://fimi-iiwf.org/desde-nuestros-territorios-hasta-la-onu-incidencia-de-las-mujeres-indigenas-en-la-csw69/

^[3] Ibid.

^[4] FIMI, op. cit. 1

^[5] Ibid.

^[6] Ibid.

^[7] FIMI. “Las Mujeres Indígenas proponen caminos de transformación en el Foro Permanente de la ONU 2025.” https://fimi-iiwf.org/las-mujeres-indigenas-proponen-caminos-de-transformacion-en-el-foro-permanente-de-la-onu-2025/

^[8] Ibid.

^[9] Ibid.

^[10] Ibid.

^[11] United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. "A/80/181: Identification, demarcation, registration and titling of Indigenous Peoples’ lands: practices and lessons - Interim report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples.” 13 October 2025. https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/thematic-reports/a80181-identification-demarcation-registration-and-titling-indigenous

^[12] FIMI. “La ONU oficializa el Día Internacional de la Mujer Indígena: un acto de memoria, justicia y reconocimiento.” https://fimi-iiwf.org/noticia/la-onu-oficializa-el-dia-internacional-de-la-mujer-indigena-un-acto-de-memoria-justicia-y-reconocimiento/

^[13] Ibid.

^[14] Ibid.

^[15] FIMI. “Felicitas Martínez Solano: ’La justicia indígena le ahorra muchísimo dinero al Estado mexicano.’” https://fimi-iiwf.org/noticia/felicitas-martinez-solano-la-justicia-indigena-le-ahorra-muchisimo-dinero-al-estado-mexicano/

^[16] Ibid.

^[17] Ibid.

^[18] Ibid.

^[19] Ibid.

^[20] Swissinfo. “Las Mujeres Indígenas son clave contra la crisis climática, de DD.HH. y de justicia social.” 20 June 2025. https://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/las-mujeres-ind%C3%ADgenas-son-clave-contra-la-crisis-clim%C3%A1tica,-de-dd.hh.-y-de-justicia-social/89554251

^[21] Ibid.

^[22] Ibid.

^[23] Ibid.

^[24] Ibid.

^[25] Ibid.

^[26] Ibid.

^[27] FIMI, op. cit. 2

^[28] FIMI, op. cit. 4

Tags: Global governance