In the context of International Women’s Day, the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA) shares the voices and testimonies of Amazonian women who, from their territories and life experiences, sustain hope and defend our Common Home.
“Being a woman today is a challenge in the face of climate change, violence against indigenous territories and their defenders, and situations of structural racism,” says Leany Torres Moraleda, an indigenous Warao woman from Venezuela, now living in Roraima, Brazil.
Her words reflect the feelings of many Amazonian women who, in the midst of vulnerable contexts, continue to be caregivers of life, transmitters of ancestral wisdom, and guardians of the balance between community and nature.
“It is about continuing to maintain the essence of women as caregivers of the family, transmitters of knowledge, and caregivers of our Common Home. Today, women are taking on leadership roles because it is necessary that the defense of the Amazon, of the earth, also have a woman’s face,” she emphasizes.
From CEAMA, we reaffirm that the Amazon is defended by the strength of its peoples and, in a special way, by the prophetic leadership of its women. In them beats the memory, resilience, and hope of a territory that cries out for justice.
On this March 8, we celebrate their courage, accompany their struggles, and renew our commitment to walk in synodality, promoting a Church with an Amazonian and feminine face.