March 8, is International Women's Day (#IWD), first celebrated in 1909. While too many women all over the world still suffer from 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 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. Learn about CEDAW's General Recommendation No. 39 on the Rights of Indigenous Women and Girls
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) General Recommendation No. 39 on the Rights of Indigenous Women and Girls includes the first language in a binding international treaty focused on the rights of Indigenous women and girls. Learn more.
2. Read our issues of the Cultural Survival Quarterly devoted to Indigenous women.
Order your copy of our latest issue
3. Celebrate some of the amazing Indigenous women working to make change happen around the world. Share their inspiring stories #IWD2026 #IndigenousWomenRising #NativeSistersBlossom
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Daria Egereva (Selkup), a frontline defender for Indigenous rights, cultural survival, and climate justice, is now detained for speaking out. We call for her freedom. Get involved in the Campaign for Daria’s release: www.daria-egereva.org
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Ipato Kenta (Maasai), Founder of Tembea Make An Impact, leads Indigenous women and youth in reclaiming sacred lands and culture, turning the fight against plastic pollution into a battle for identity, memory, and survival.
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Indigenous women from the Oraon, Santal, Koch-Rajbangshi, and Barman communities in Thakurgaon, Bangladesh, are strengthening their communities through leadership, cultural preservation, and economic resilience.
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Maasai women in Tanzania are amplifying Indigenous voices, safeguarding cultural knowledge, and protecting their lands through community-led storytelling and media.
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Célia Xakriabá (Xakriabá) defends Brazil’s Indigenous Peoples, their cultures, and territories against political oppression and environmental dismantling.
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Alicia Moncada (Wayúu) is our new Director of Advocacy and Communications, amplifying Indigenous voices and advancing climate and human rights across Latin America and beyond. En español.
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Dr. Lyla June Johnston (Diné/Tsétsêhéstâhese), Cultural Survival Board Member, amplifies Indigenous leadership, promoting ecological restoration, cultural revitalization, and social healing globally.
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Junise Golden Feather Bliss (Narragansett, Pequot, Western Pequot) Founder of Sweetgrass Cultural Enrichment Center, honors Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People, transforming grief into healing, cultural resilience, and community-led advocacy.
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Sabou Doumbia (Bambara, Mali) and Namongin Alice (Ik, Uganda) champion Indigenous women’s leadership in climate justice, advancing youth education, sustainable agriculture, and land protection.
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Victoria Nolasco (Lumad de Mindanao) explores how Indigenous youth in Mindanao are using citizen journalism to resist the Tampakan Copper-Gold mining project and protect their ancestral territories.
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Michelle Schenandoah (Oneida Nation), founder of Rematriation, brings together leading Indigenous voices through Rematriated Voices to explore matrilineal leadership, land justice, and the future of democracy.
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Dr. Ruth Matamoros-Mercado (Miskitu) explores how Indigenous law, collective land ownership, and cultural resilience shape the future of the Miskitu people.
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4. Listen and share podcasts by and about Indigenous women.
The perspectives and inclusion of Indigenous women is essential to gender equality worldwide. Using community radio as a tool, we invite you to celebrate Women's Day by bringing Indigenous women's perspectives to the airwaves. The following programs are free for you to listen to, download, and broadcast!
Welcome Alicia Moncada - Our New Director of Advocacy and Communications
Cultural Survival welcomes Alicia Moncada (Wayuu), who has joined as our new Director of Advocacy and Communications. She brings over 13 years of experience in human rights advocacy, research, and communication, with a focus on Indigenous Peoples' rights, gender justice, and climate justice.
Join us as We Welcome Our New Board Member: Dr. Lyla June Johnston
Cultural Survival welcomes the newest member of our Board of Directors, Dr. Lyla June Johnston. Lyla June is an Indigenous musician, author, and community organizer of Diné (Navajo), Tsétsêhéstâhese (Cheyenne), and European lineages.
Hablando la verdad al silencio: enfrentando los feminicidios en las comunidades indígenas de Guerrero
Protejamos Sus Voces en Línea!
Este artículo aborda la violencia digital contra las mujeres, especialmente las mujeres indígenas, destacando cómo las plataformas en línea pueden amenazar la privacidad, la dignidad y los derechos humanos, y cómo buscan silenciar voces en la política, el activismo y el periodismo.
5. Support Indigenous Women Artists
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6. Learn how the Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival uplifts Indigenous women’s voices while challenging the colonial myths surrounding Pocahontas.
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7. Donate to Cultural Survival.
For over five decades, Cultural Survival has prioritized projects centering Indigenous women and engaging women’s and girls’ leadership through our programs, grantmaking, fellowships, capacity building, and communications. An investment in Cultural Survival is an investment in Indigenous women and girls' leadership globally!
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Support our work today and get the March 2026 issue of the Cultural Survival Quarterly delivered to your door!
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