The Feminist School for Climate Action (EFAC) is a space for training, meeting and exchange between groups of human and environmental rights defenders in Latin America.
It seeks to amplify the voices and collective action of rural, indigenous, Afro-descendant and marginalized urban women with training, technical-political assistance and financial resources to strengthen advocacy and visibility plans that promote democratic and feminist governance of the territory.
To meet and organize, we hold virtual meetings as well as face-to-face regional meetings.
EFAC is an initiative promoted by Plurales, as part of its policy of action to support Women Human and Environmental Rights Defenders within the framework of the Global Alliance for Gender and Climate (GAGGA), and in conjunction with other partner organizations, with the intention of training Women Environmental Defenders who are part of the Chaco – Pantanal – Amazon Biomes in climate action.
This geographical delimitation (which is not exclusive) is due to the fact that we see the opportunity to link different networks of women human and environmental rights defenders from these territories, many of which have similar problems, and consolidating articulated action strategies can enhance the reach and strength of grassroots organizations.
The social, political and economic context of our territories is alarming and violent, not only because of the severe effects of the climate crisis, but also because of the hegemonic economic development model: capitalist, patriarchal and colonial.
The advance of extractive megaprojects, the implementation of neoliberal policies and the pressure of anti-rights groups affect our peoples and communities, but mainly women, youth and children. Even though we are the most vulnerable to these problems, women are on the front line of defense, putting our bodies on the line to defend our territories and communities, facing threats, violence and intimidation.
We are indigenous, peasant, Afro-descendant, quilombola and precarious urban women, defenders of the environment and the territory. Women who fight against extractivist megaprojects and the effects of the climate crisis, promoting practices of care for the land, the territory and common goods, and a life free of violence and focused on good living.
We are part of communities, movements, organizations and networks from different countries in Latin America: Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia and Argentina.
We form an environmental and feminist movement that seeks to generate a systemic change, where the worldview of good living, the protection of bodies/territories and the fundamental role of women are the pillars of the sustainability of life.
Articulação de Mulheres Brasileira (AMB)
Brasil
APG Zona Yacuiba
Bolivia
Asociación de Mujeres de la provincia O’Connor (AMPRO)
Bolivia
Asociación de Comités Ecológicos del Sur de Honduras (ACESH)
Honduras
Asociación Nochari
Nicaragua
Centro de Conciliación Ivi Maraei Movimiento de Justicia Socioambiental Tarija
Movimiento de Justicia Socioambiental Tarija
Bolivia
CONTIOCAP
Bolivia
Escuela para Defensoras en Derechos Humanos y Ambientales Benita Galeana A.C
México
Movimento de Mulheres Camponesas
Brasil
Movimiento Luna Creciente
Ecuador
Movimiento Sin Tierra (Movimiento de Mujeres Trabajadoras Rurales del Nordeste)
Brasil
Red de Mujeres de Pilar
Paraguay
Red Ecuatoriana de Foresteria Análoga (REFA)
Ecuador
RENAMAT
Bolivia
Unión de Empresas del Sector Social de la Economía Ambiental de Marcovia (UEDESAMAR)
Honduras
COMUNDICH / Comunidades Chortí
Guatemala
Movimiento Ecofeminista de El Salvador (AMAES)
El Salvador
Movimiento Ambientalista Santabarbarense (MAS)
Honduras
APPA
Argentina
Asamblea por la Vida Chilecito
Argentina
CCIMCAT
Bolivia
MOCAFOR
Argentina
UtzChe
Guatemala
Agrupación Amismaxaj
Guatemala
Colectivo Angiru
Bolivia
Asociación de Mujeres Kuña Techapyrã
Paraguay
Virtual space for training and discussion of basic topics:
On November 3 and 4, the 1st Latin American Meeting of Women Environmental Defenders for Climate Action was held in Buenos Aires, bringing together more than 40 women representing 30 environmental defender organizations from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico and El Salvador. For two days we worked together in struggle and the objective we set ourselves was more than fulfilled:
A communication campaign was designed for the advocacy, seeking to publicize and invite the community to join our fight for the defense of the environment and good living through the signing and dissemination of our statement.
Learn about and replicate our actions to defend and care for the environment
After a process of reflection on the steps taken and lessons learned during these 4 years of shared work, the members decided to form a network to amplify the content, learnings and impact of the EFAC processes. Through the network, they seek to ensure that other women from different organizations and communities can access the specific information that we share and discuss at EFAC.
The work methodology consists of online and face-to-face meetings on training or exchange topics that arise as priorities among members, seeking to generate, within the framework of the School, a space for co-creation of socially useful knowledge. In addition, we design communication campaigns, advocacy agendas and solidarity actions.
