What Do Secure Collective Land Rights Mean to Women in Latin America? - Rights + Resources - Supporting Forest Tenure, Policy, and Market Reforms

“As Indigenous Peoples and children of Mother Earth, we have the right to respect and protect her.”

“[Secure collective land rights] is a basic condition of existence!”

Secure collective land rights mean “respect for living freely, making use of our land according to traditional management practices.”

Secure collective land rights “guarantee the health and life of this and future generations.”

Secure collective land rights “contribute to a pluricultural country with fewer indices of poverty.”

Secure collective land rights enable “the defense of ancestral cultural identity and practices.”

“Because by having land ownership and security, we can produce food for the families of the community.”

Secure collective land rights mean “that governments guarantee the rights stipulated in laws protecting land ownership and environmental security.”

Secure collective land rights mean “assuming equal rights and responsibilities as men.”

We asked women from across Latin America what secure collective land rights mean for them, their communities, and their countries. Here’s what they had to say: