International Women’s Day 2023

Indigenous women are leaders, drivers of change and vital for our future. But even as we celebrate their achievements, we must recognise the work that still needs to be done to amplify their voices and support their empowerment.

March 8 marks International Women’s Day and to honour the day Tenure Facility spoke with six Indigenous female leaders about their hopes and visions for their fellow women. Together, they spoke of the need to join forces and fight for acceptance in a world where they are all too often marginalised.

Illustrations by Prashanti Aswani.

Several of the women talked about the importance of encouraging female leaders and standing up for the rights of all women in their communities and beyond.

Others discussed the need for women to work together and honour those courageous leaders who take the first steps in pushing for change.

Articles

04 August 2026

Blogs

Pourquoi les droits fonciers ne peuvent pas attendre la paix

Et si attendre la paix était l’un des plus grands obstacles à la sécurisation des droits fonciers ? Pendant des décennies, la gouvernance foncière a été largement considérée comme un élément de la reconstruction post-conflit. L’hypothèse était simple : le conflit prend fin, les institutions se redressent, les populations rentrent chez elles, et ce n’est qu’alors que les droits fonciers peuvent être rétablis. Dans de nombreuses régions du monde, cependant, cette séquence ne correspond pas à la réalité. Les conflits sont souvent prolongés, les institutions peuvent être affaiblies ou inexistantes, et les registres fonciers officiels ont parfois disparu. Pourtant, les communautés continuent de cultiver leurs terres, de gérer les forêts, de résoudre les différends et de défendre leurs territoires en s’appuyant sur les systèmes de gouvernance qui restent à leur disposition.

23 July 2026

Blogs

Why land rights can't wait for peace

What if waiting for peace is one of the biggest obstacles to securing land rights? For decades, land governance has largely been treated as part of post-conflict recovery. The assumption has been straightforward: conflict ends, institutions recover, people return home, and only then can land rights be restored. In many parts of the world, however, that sequence does not reflect reality. Conflict is often prolonged, institutions may be weakened or absent, and official land records may have disappeared. Yet communities continue farming, managing forests, resolving disputes, and defending their territories using the governance systems still available to them.

13 July 2026

Brazil

"We are the middle, the beginning and the middle." : Quilombola women in land rights and climate action

Long before a land title is granted or a policy is signed, movements are built. They are built by women and men organising communities, defending territories, passing on ancestral knowledge, protecting culture, and ensuring generations of struggle are never forgotten. Between 10 and 14 June 2026, the III Meeting of CONAQ's Quilombola Women's Collective brought hundreds of these leaders together from across Brazil, alongside representatives from Latin America and Africa. Over five days, they celebrated victories, confronted urgent challenges and strengthened a movement that continues to shape Brazil's conversations on land rights, climate justice, gender equality and historical reparation.