IP groups to UNSR Ian Fry

‘Support our call to stop the attacks against Indigenous Women Environmental HR Defenders!’

Press Release
November 9, 2023

QUEZON CITY – Indigenous Peoples (IP) organizations Bai Indigenous Women’s Network and Katribu Kalipunan ng Katutubong Mamamayan ng Pilipinas, along with Protect Sierra Madre (PSM), Mamamayang Nagmamahal sa Pakil (MANAPAK), and Kalikasan Southern Tagalog, met with UN Special Rapporteur on Climate Change Ian Fry on November 9, 2023, to share on the impacts of Kaliwa and Ahunan dams, and the Pacific Coast Cities project, to the IP communities in the Southern Tagalog region of the Philippines. Kakay Tolentino, national coordinator of Bai, focused on the attacks indigenous women face as environmental human rights defenders (EHRD).

“Indigenous women are leading the way in stopping destructive programs encroaching our ancestral lands, such as large dams and mines. However, it is becoming difficult for us to play our role in the fight against the climate crisis due to the worsening attacks on indigenous women, our communities and organizations,” said Tolentino.

“We are being criminalized. Presently, there are 63 indigenous political prisoners which include 13 women,” added Tolentino. In 2020, six (6) Tumandok women were red-tagged and arrested due to their opposition to the Jalaur and Pan-ay mega dams.

Moreover, the Anti-Terrorism Council through the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 arbitrarily designates indigenous women as terrorists. These include Igorot women leaders Sarah Alikes and Jennifer Awingan, and Dr. Natividad Castro, a doctor of the Manobo in Caraga Region in Mindanao.

“These attacks on indigenous women leaders and our supporters is a clear attempt of the State to incapacitate our leaders and organizations who protect Mother Earth from further plunder of big businesses for profit,” expressed Tolentino.

Tolentino also raised concern on the Philippine government’s non-fulfillment of its obligations and inaction on the CEDAW General Recommendation No. 39, on the Rights of Indigenous Women and Girls. “State measures should include the creation of specialized government mechanisms to protect IWEHRD with their genuine and meaningful participation,” said Tolentino.

Meanwhile, Beverly Longid, national convenor of Katribu, called for the enactment of Human Rights Defenders and Environmental Defense Bills that would provide policy recognition to Indigenous Peoples as environment and human rights defenders. We hope that this recognition will protect IP as EHRD, especially from escalating attacks as they assert their rights to land and development.