September 5 is the International Day of Indigenous Women commemorated in honor of Aymara warrior Bartolina Sisa who in 1780, along with her husband Túpac Katari, led an important part of the Aymara-Quechua rebellion against the exploitation and abuse of Spanish colonizers in Peru. 

While too many women all over the world are still affected by violence and rights abuses, it is important to recognize the amazing work Indigenous women are doing to make change happen. They are movement builders, system shakers, stewards of ecosystems, community caretakers, and working towards a transformative, equitable, and just future for all of our relations. 

On this International Indigenous Women's Day stand in solidarity with women as they fight to assert their rights. Join us in this action to honor, uplift, and resource Indigenous women's leadership, so that next year we will have even more to celebrate! 
 

1. Read our issues of the Cultural Survival Quarterly devoted to Indigenous women.

2. Watch our "Indigenous Women: The Strength of Our Communities" webinar.   

Featuring: Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim (Mbororo), President of the Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad (AFPAT); Tarcila Rivera Zea (Quechua), Founder and Vice-President, Chirapaq; Gertrude Kenyangi (Batwa), Executive Director, Support for Women in Agriculture and Environment (SWAGEN), Uganda; and Christa Mancias (Esto’k Gna), Carrizo Comecrudo Tribe of Texas Tribal Secretary. 
 

3. Celebrate some of the amazing Indigenous women working to make change happen around the world.  Share their inspiring stories!  #IndigenousWomenRising

Monica Coc Magnusson (Q’eqchi Maya) is Cultural Survivlal's new Director of Advocacy and Policy and the first Indigenous woman from southern Belize to be called to the Belize Bar. En español
 

Sage and Raven Lacerte (Carrier/Lake Babine Nation) from Canada are working toward Indigenous empowerment and rematriation.
 

María Mercedes Coroy (Kaqchikel Maya) from Guatemala is inspiring youth to be proud of their Indigenous heritage.
 

Carolina Trayen Rain Ancan (Mapuche) from Chile and Lorena Jamioy Tisoy (Inga-Kamëntsá) from Colombia are CS Indigenous Community Media Youth Fellows working to document the knowledge of their Elders. 
 

Daunnette Moniz-Reyome (Umoⁿhoⁿ Tribe) from Turtle Island is working to expand Native American representation.
 

Amy Brown (Khoe) from South Africa is breaking down barriers to gain visibility for Queer People of Color.
 

Butterflies In Spirit is a dance group that advocates for justice for MMIWG families and builds awareness of the violence against MMIWG based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
 

Ayuujk women from Radio Jënpoj in Mexico are promoting Indigenous women's leadership in media.  En español
 

4. Listen and share podcasts by and about Indigenous women. 

The perspectives and inclusion of Indigenous women are essential to gender equality worldwide. Using community radio as a tool, we invite you to celebrate International Indigenous Women's Day by bringing Indigenous women's perspectives to the airwaves. Access more here.

An Interview With Deidre Jantjies Deidre Jantjies (Khoisan) is an Indigenous South African Film producer. Deidre tells us about using animation to tell our own stories. Finding Balance - An Interview With Jannie Staffansson To achieve gender equity, women need to be at every table where decisions are made. Jannie Staffansson (Saami), a renowned Indigenous climate change expert and a Cultural Survival board member, tells us about balancing traditional lifeways today.   Indigenous Women Changemakers: Joan Carling Joan Carling (Kankanaey from the Philippines) is a Focal Person/Convenor for the Indigenous Peoples Major Group for Sustainable Development. Here she explains the benefits of the participation of Indigenous Peoples in local and global decision-making, which would bring a diversity of perspectives and solutions to pressing issues. The Defense of Indigenous Intellectual Rights - The Case of T'boli Women When the T'boli community in the Philippines learned that their distinctive Tnalak-style garments were being produced under false pretenses by non-T'boli manufacturers, they organized. T'boli women were able to secure collective intellectual property trademark rights to Tnalak weaving that are specific to their geographical location, which was an important victory for their community of women weavers. Día Internacional de la Mujer Indígena El 5 de septiembre se conmemora el Día Internacional de la Mujer Indígena, en honor a la guerrera Aymara Bartolina Sisa, quien junto a su esposo “Túpac Katari” lideró parte importante de la rebelión Aymara-Quechua, que comenzó en 1,780 contra la explotación y abuso de los colonizadores españoles en el Alto Perú. La Dignidad de la Tierra: Mujer Indígena, Crisis Climática y Extractivismo en América Latina en Idioma Español y Portugués El extractivismo ha causado daños irreparables; sin embargo, estas historias dejan ver con cómo a pesar de tanto abuso y violencia, las comunidades siguen resistiendo y luchando con dignidad por un futuro para la humanidad. Conozca más sobre el tema en este programa.

5. Learn about Indigenous women's rights.  

Watch and share this video by Asia Indigenous Peoples' Pact. 

6. Support Indigenous women artists!

Indigenous artists have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Support Indigenous women artists by purchasing their art.

7. Donate to Cultural Survival!

Today is also International Day of Charity observed annually on September 5 as declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012, we hope we can count on you!  For almost five decades, Cultural Survival has prioritized projects centering Indigenous women and engaging women’s and girls’ leadership. An investment in Cultural Survival is an investment in Indigenous women's and girls' leadership globally!