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Sunday, August 11, 2019 ― WESCR Working Group

Women leaders from social movements and grassroots groups from Africa, Asia, and Latin America share their stories of strength, resilience, and solidarity

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The #WomenLeadOnLand video series features testimonies from women leaders of social movements for land, housing, and natural resource rights. Strengthening social movements, and particularly women’s power in struggles for land, housing and natural resources, is one of the main goals of the Women and ESCR Working Group. In the series, women leaders from social movements and grassroots groups from Africa, Asia and Latin America share their stories of strength, resilience and solidarity. These interviews were conducted during the first strategic exchange of women from the grassroots that took place in May 2018 in Nairobi, Kenya.

I think that’s what social struggle is about. Having the ability to grow not just in number but also in quality as a person. And the power of listening to other women, to get to know other women, allows you to strengthen ties of friendship, and solidarity. And if something happens, they also will become engaged in the struggle in your country.
— Zenayda Serrano - MUFRAS-32 (El Salvador)
When women leaders connect across regions and across movements all of their voices become strengthened. Catch a few glimpses of women leaders as they gather together from regions around the world in Nairobi sharing their experiences and lessons learned from their respective land rights struggles.
Massa Packer and Radiatu Sheriff speak about the injustices they have faced and how that inspires their struggle at the Natural Resources Women Platform. They mention how a private company's grabbing of their land impacted their community, particularly the women.
Christine Kandie is an Endorois woman that has overcome many obstacles in her life and as a leader in her community. As an indigenous woman with disabilities, she has emerged one of the strongest Endorois voices reclaiming the right to traditional lands around Lake Bogoria, taken away from her community in the 1970's by Kenyan government in order to create a game reserve for tourism revenue. In 2010, the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR) recognized the right of Endorois peoples over their traditional land. Christine inspires hundreds of Endorois women to build their own path and take the leadership to reclaim their lands.
Zenayda Serrano shares how MUFRAS-32 faced the phenomenon of corporate capture in her community and details the difficult moments in her struggle that finally made El Salvador become the first country in the world to ban metal mining. She talks about the risks and challenges she faced as a defender of human rights, confronting both the corporate powers and the patriarchy. Ultimately, Zenayda highlights how solidarity between women and a united community grounds her and gives her the strength to continue.
Aurelia Arzu (OFRANEH, Honduras) talks about the Garifuna people. An Afro-Caribbean people who are fighting to protect their lands in a militarized zone. She highlights the courage and resistance of women who put their bodies on the line to stop the exploitation and desolation of their lands. One of these women is Berta Cáceres, a powerful activist who was killed by Honduran military forces. "Berta is me," sings Aurelia, to express that when a woman defender is attacked, women multiply in strength and solidarity.
Chanda Thapa (Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact) speaks about movement building in Asia to confront states and corporations grabbing lands from indigenous communities in the name of development. She explains how the experience of connecting with other women in similar struggles around the world strengthens the movement.