For generations, the Inga people of Putumayo, Colombia have protected their territory from pollution at the hands of extractive industries. Inga women play a central role in this work. They also cultivate chagras, farming systems – full of fruit trees, medicinal and artisanal plants, and tubers – that prevent deforestation, support climate resilience and biodiversity, and enhance health systems.

Inga women remind us that our well-being is connected at every level – from healthy soil, to the food systems that sustain us, to our climate. Amazon Watch directly supports Indigenous women's solutions, including health systems, regenerative economies, and the revitalization of ancestral wisdom. Please show your support for all that women defenders do to keep Mother Earth in balance!

Ingrid Mojanajinsoy is president of the Association of Indigenous Councils of the Municipality of Villagarzón Putumayo. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, she has witnessed a profound shift as Inga women organized and took on new roles to transform health outcomes. Their leadership is essential to cultural and spiritual sustenance, traditional food systems, and community organizing against extraction. Your gift today can support Indigenous women's solutions like these across the Amazon Basin.

Ingrid's vision for her people? “Replicate the work I did in my community, strengthening women with projects so that they can lead and continue promoting their leadership. So we are focusing on many projects so that women continue to lead and feel recognized, valued, and safe.”

Will you support this vision with a donation today? Your gift is a tangible act of solidarity with Indigenous women defending the Amazon – the heart of our planet. Thank you!

Happy International Women's Month,

Leila Salazar-López
Executive Director

 
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