Jakarta 12/11/2015 – Indigenous women are the group that the most exposed directly by the effects of climate change. Most of their lives and livelihoods, relying on natural resources, are threatened by seasonal shifts and extreme weather changes. These also lead to the extinction of the main role of indigenous women as guardians of the food of their families and communities.
However, in the various processes of climate negotiations that took place at the community, regional and central levels, the involvement of indigenous women had little attention. In fact, they are the leading group that is vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Indigenous women continue to witness and to have experience the effects of drastic changes in their management areas and natural resources. They have difficulty in obtaining clean water. They also have to work harder than they usually do in agricultural land. Besides, the land, the place they work, is converted into plantation and mining concessions. Indigenous women should be involved in the decision-making process and various initiatives with their communities to face climate change recognized by the government.
Climate change
Based on this, indigenous women who are members of PEREMPUAN AMAN hold a Workshop on the National Dialogue of Indigenous Women with the Indonesian Delegation on Climate Change towards the COP 21 Paris Negotiation Process, in Jakarta on November 11th -12th 2015. United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties 21 (COP21) is a global meeting attended by representatives of countries to reach an agreement on climate change policy.
The meeting that will take place at the end of November 2015 is increasingly urgent because the earth’s temperature has reached 1.5 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, it is believed that the highest Earth temperature that is safe for life in the planet is 2 degrees Celsius. Therefore, COP 21 emphasizes the existence of an agreement on climate which is applicable and legally binding for all countries with the aim of keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius.
President of PEREMPUAN AMAN, Devi Anggraini delivered her presentation
The workshop, highlighting the issue of indigenous women and climate change, the indigenous women of the Dayak Ma’anyan, Central Kalimantan, Lilis said, “there are five things that have happened due to climate change, one of the effects is on food. Due to the long dry season and forest fires, our food has been minimal in East Barito. Then, I lose my hope on the economics of rattan craftsmen because the rattan is usually fertile and easy to maintain every year, but now due to heat and evaporation, all die. Third, housing needs. Because the forest is burned, there is no wood. Fourth, health. Because of smoke, many people have bad condition as it is shown on television. Fifth is education. In the dry season, the children’s have been in holiday for almost a month in the last 3 months,” said Lilis.
In addition, Afrida Erna Ngato, Head of the Pagu Tribe, North Halmahera Regency, North Maluku Province said that due to climate change, its influence could not be separated from food security. Food security also covers all living things. “I want to share food where there is famine, especially in North Maluku and Maluku. Globalization makes us struggle because local food is converted into rice. For climate change, we cannot plant it in rice fields, so, this is also a problem,” explained Efrida.
All experiences and knowledge of indigenous women are the basis of PEREMPUAN AMAN’s position for COP 21, Paris. Among them, indigenous women believe that the State has mismanaged in the management of living resources and indigenous territories that contribute to the acceleration of climate change. Indigenous women realize that they must build a firm position to put their needs in particular in the COP 21 negotiation process in Paris seriously. Indigenous women demand the recognition for their customary territories and management areas. Indigenous women demand the recognition for indigenous women’s knowledge and the management of natural resources in climate change policies.
The exclamation of Indigenous women
Indigenous women also call on the Indonesian government and other parties to stop accusations and attempt to discredit knowledge and practices of shifting cultivation that have been practiced downwardly for hundreds years in indigenous communities. Indigenous women assert to strengthen positions in various levels of strategic decision making in climate change policies. This affirmation also applies to all development projects or climate change that are implemented into indigenous territories to make the principle of Free, Prior, Informed Consent (FPIC) be the main prerequisite. Finally, indigenous women urged to stop the criminalization towards indigenous women who fight for and manage natural resources within their customary territories that still occur in various parts of the world.
These seven things made the position of Indigenous Women were delivered by the PEREMPUAN AMAN Delegation into COP 21. President of PEREMPUAN AMAN, Devi Anggraini, in a press conference, said that this position would be taken by Olvy Tumbelaka (PA National Council) as a representative of PEREMPUAN AMAN. This position will also be distributed to the Network of the Asian Indigenous Women Network (AIWN) which also follows the COP 21 processes. This is the first time for PEREMPUAN AMAN to join in the process of negotiating climate change at the international level and to express its position firmly.
“So far, we have always participated as a wing organization, and we have felt that it is no longer enough. Indigenous women have one special need. Olvy’s departure is one point where she will show what the specific needs of indigenous women are related to climate change, the recognition for the knowledge and the management areas,” Devi explained further.
“It does not only follow a big agenda that has been voiced by many indigenous peoples, but we also want to say that the recognition for the management area is a guarantee for the survival of future generations,” she said. Titi Pangestu
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