In the province of Puerto Inca, in the Huánuco region (Peru), 23 indigenous women leaders from various Amazonian communities gathered on March 30 and 31, 2026, for the Second Women’s Congress of the Federation of Native Communities of Puerto Inca and Tributaries (FECONAPIA). This event marked a milestone in the coordination of women’s leadership in the defense of territory, collective rights, and life in the Amazon.
Hailing from the Asháninka, Ashéninka, Yanesha, Shipibo-Konibo, and Kakataibo peoples, the participants shared experiences, built capacity, and developed a common agenda to address the multiple challenges facing their communities—marked by the advance of illegal economies, violence, and the weak presence of the state.
Defending the territory is defending life
The women leaders agreed that territory cannot be understood as an exploitable resource, but rather as a sacred space where the life, culture, spirituality, and identity of the peoples are intertwined. In this context, they denounced the serious threats posed by activities such as illegal mining, indiscriminate logging, and drug trafficking, which affect both ecosystems and the health and lives of communities.
They also highlighted the deep connection between environmental violence and violence against women, emphasizing that defending the territory also means defending the body, dignity, and good living.
Transformative Women’s Leadership
The conference highlighted a growing process of empowerment among Indigenous women, who today assume key roles in territorial surveillance, community organization, and political advocacy. Despite facing challenges such as the burden of family responsibilities and the risks associated with their work, these women leaders reaffirmed their commitment to their communities.
“If I have to give my life, I will give it for my community,” was one of the statements reflecting the depth of this commitment.
The gathering also strengthened knowledge regarding collective rights, prior consultation, and tools for territorial defense, including the use of technologies such as drones for monitoring their territories.
A Declaration for Our Common Home
As a result of the congress, the Puerto Inca Declaration: “Indigenous Women of the Amazon: Territory, Rights, and Defense of Our Common Home” was adopted, a statement that reaffirms women as political, historical, and territorial agents.
In this document, the women leaders:
- Recognize themselves as guardians of life and the territory.
- Denounce the extractivist model that prioritizes profit over life.
- Demand that the State recognize and protect their rights.
- Make concrete commitments to the defense of nature, the transmission of ancestral knowledge, and the strengthening of women’s leadership.
A path that originates from the territories
The Second FECONAPIA Women’s Congress makes it clear that the defense of the Amazon necessarily involves recognizing the central role of Indigenous women. From their territories, they not only resist, but also organize, care for, and sustain life.
This process, supported by organizations such as REPAM Peru and CAAAP, reflects a Church that reaches out, committed to the Amazonian peoples and to building an integral ecology.
In harmony with the path of CEAMA, these initiatives reaffirm that the Amazon has a woman’s face and that her voice is essential for building justice, peace, and care for our Common Home.
