I-LEAD: Indigenous women and girls transforming communities in Mindanao

Point of view

- By SELVA RAMACHANDRAN

March holds particular importance as it marks the annual National Women's Month of the Philippines. Under the theme "Babae sa Lahat ng Sektor, Aangat ang Bukas sa Bagong Pilipinas," this year's commemoration envisions a future where all women from different sectors and backgrounds can claim equal rights, power and opportunities.

Critical to this future is the pivotal role of indigenous women and girls in carrying forward the journey toward biodiversity conservation and in fostering inclusive peace and development.

One cannot deny that Indigenous Peoples (IPs) are significant on-site stewards of the rich biodiversity of the Philippines. There is an almost 1:1 correspondence of Key Biodiversity Areas and ancestral domains in the Philippines. This is proof that the traditional knowledge, systems and practices of IPs that are deeply rooted in their culture and belief are, in fact, sustainable. Thus, the Indigenous Peoples, the holders of vast natural resources, are at the forefront of environmental management.