Resonance of Women’s Struggles for Nature

Andi Misbahul Pratiwi
PhD Student, University of Leeds, UK

On November 28, 2024, the Gender and Religion Working Group of the Netherlands-Indonesia Consortium for Muslim-Christian Relations (NICMCR) hosted a virtual discussion titled Women in Ecological Crisis: Defenders of Nature. This event brought together experts, activists, researchers, and the public to explore the critical role of women in resisting ecological destruction and championing sustainability. The discussion featured Sanne Derks, a photojournalist and anthropologist, and Uli Arta Siagian, WALHI’s National Forest and Big Plantation Campaign Manager, as speakers, with Nila Patty from Zero Waste serving as moderator. The session underscored the global struggles of women against industrial exploitation—including oil extraction, mining, and deforestation—with a particular focus on the empirical evidence from Indonesia and Latin America.

Stories from Ecuador: Women at the Forefront of Resistance

Corrie van der Ven, steering committee of NICMCR, opened the session by highlighting the critical need for gendered and interfaith perspectives in addressing ecological crises. She stressed the urgency of finding solutions to global challenges, such as those discussed at COP 29 in Baku this year and called for hope and collective action. “Today, we will focus on solutions where women play pivotal roles at various levels. I look forward to learning from one another and inspiring action together,” said Corrie.

Sanne Derks, a photojournalist and anthropologist, shared compelling documentation of Ecuadorian women leading resistance efforts against petroleum and mining companies during the virtual discussion. Ecuador, known for its rich biodiversity and its constitutional recognition of nature’s rights, faces a paradox as rampant environmental exploitation threatens the livelihoods of its Indigenous communities. “The Amazonian communities depend on rivers not only for transportation but also for food and water. They live by the fish they catch and the plantains and yuca they grow on the riverbanks. However, petroleum companies dumping waste into the rivers have polluted these vital resources,” she explained.

Derks shared stories and photographs from Indigenous women who fought for their lands against petroleum companies and mining. One of the powerful stories came from Salomé, a women leader from Piwiri, a small Amazonian community of just eight houses and about 50 residents, accessible only by canoe. Salomé’s village, deeply dependent on the nearby river, has seen its ecosystem devastated by oil extraction in a neighbouring territory. Fish have become so contaminated with oil that they are inedible, and the soil, poisoned by pollution, can no longer sustain crops.

Salomé took a stand, filing a lawsuit against the petroleum company responsible for the destruction. Derks shared how Salomé described the dire situation: “The petroleum companies are poisoning us. The fish die, and the chakras—our ancestral lands for growing crops—can no longer provide food. We need the river to survive. We are part of Mother Earth, and as mothers, we do everything to provide a healthy and sustainable environment for our children. We want them to have a future here, where we belong.”

Over time, Salomé’s resilience and advocacy began to shift perspectives within her community. Most villagers now support her efforts, realizing the critical need to protect their territory. The community has initiated a legal process to claim their ancestral rights to the land, strengthening their case against corporate encroachment. Salomé continues to raise awareness about the environmental destruction caused by oil and mining companies, inspiring her community to stand united in defense of their land.

Derks also shared the story of Alexandra Narvez, a leader in the Ai K’ofan territories, where the community achieved a landmark victory by cancelling 51 mining concessions on their land. This triumph led to the creation of a national law requiring that Indigenous peoples with ancestral rights must be informed and granted consent before mining or petroleum companies begin operations. Their success was made possible by an Indigenous guard that the community established to monitor their territory. Using canoes, drones, and camera traps, they gathered evidence of illegal activities, ultimately securing a legal win that has set a precedent for Indigenous communities across the nation.

In her presentation, Derks emphasised the broader impact of the efforts of Salomé, Alexandra, and other women like Rosa Cerda, a female leader from Serena in the Napo basin, and Veronica, who has been engaged in a legal battle for over 30 years to protect her community atop a gold mine in Tzawata. She highlighted how these women are not only preserving their communities but also advocating for the rights of nature and future generations. They represent a powerful resistance against industrial exploitation, standing as defenders of the Amazon and the Earth itself.

Stories from Indonesia: Nickel Mining’s Hidden Costs

Uli Arta Siagian from WALHI illuminated the often-overlooked human and environmental costs of nickel mining in Indonesia, which is claimed as a cornerstone of global energy transition and electric vehicle production. “Nickel mining leaves devastation in its wake, in Indonesia, it is driving deforestation, polluted rivers, and the criminalization of communities fighting to protect their lands,” she explained. Indonesia has lost over 25,000 hectares of forest to nickel mining between 2000 and 2020, with significant operations in Sulawesi and Maluku. Out of the country’s 900,000 hectares of mining land, 693,000 are located in forest areas, resulting in widespread ecological destruction and loss of biodiversity.

Women, who play a vital role in sustaining their communities, are disproportionately affected by the destruction wrought by mining. Uli shared the story of women in southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia who fight for their land and livelihood against nickel mining companies and the state. Haslin, a woman from Torobulu village faced criminal charges for protesting against mining operations. She was accused of obstructing investment, a tactic frequently used under Indonesia’s mining laws to silence resistance. Similarly, Amelia, a woman from Wawoni, had to flee her home and hide in the forest for two months after being summoned by the police in a move designed to intimidate her. These stories are not isolated; a total of 32 community members in Torobulu alone have faced criminalization, 16 of whom are women.

Beyond legal threats, mining activities disrupt the livelihoods of local communities, especially women. Rivers and oceans in mining areas are heavily polluted, affecting fishing and agriculture, two essential sources of sustenance. In Kobi Island (Central Maluku), nickel waste has contaminated water sources, forcing residents to buy bottled water for daily consumption. Women face a double burden, losing access to clean water, farmland, and fishing grounds while taking on additional jobs to support their families. Before mining, many women could farm their land or fish freely; now, they must adapt to degraded ecosystems and rising costs.

Despite these hardships, women in these regions are leading resistance movements. In Wawoni village, women have organized protests and learning spaces to understand the impact of mining and strategize their opposition. They have blocked heavy machinery from entering their land, with some even climbing onto the equipment or removing their clothing as acts of defiance to stop evictions. At the same time, these actions put them at risk of being reported under Indonesia’s Anti-Pornography and Pornographic Acts Law. Women in Torobulu have turned to farming, managing the remaining land available to them. They cultivate crops like chilli, tomatoes, and corn to sustain their families, build economic resilience, and reduce reliance on mining companies. These actions demonstrate a profound resilience and determination to protect their land and communities.

“Their resistance is not just about land or livelihoods—it’s about securing a sustainable future for their children,” Uli emphasized. While their fight is ongoing, the Indonesian government continues to grant permits and facilitate mining operations, creating a significant uphill battle. Yet these women persist, filing lawsuits and raising awareness of the true costs of nickel mining. Their actions challenge the narrative of green energy by exposing the exploitation and environmental degradation hidden behind the push for global decarbonization.

Conclusion

The stories and evidence presented by Sanne Derks and Uli Arta illuminate the pivotal role women play in resisting environmental destruction and championing sustainability. Across diverse contexts, from Ecuador to Indonesia, women are at the forefront of ecological struggles, engaging in acts of resistance that highlight the interconnectedness of nature, community well-being, and their roles as caregivers and leaders. Their fight is not only about safeguarding the environment but also about defending identity, heritage, and the future of their communities. However, these women face immense challenges, including criminalization, societal pressure, and governmental neglect. Despite this, their resilience underscores that environmental and climate justice can only be achieved through collective action and global solidarity. Their efforts call for stronger support and recognition, reminding us of our shared responsibility to work towards sustainability that transcends borders.

This discussion prompts critical reflection on both national and global challenges in achieving ecological justice. In Indonesia, extractive industries like mining continue to operate under legal frameworks that often favour exploitation. Weak law enforcement against illegal mining exacerbates the issue, while the involvement of religious organizations in mining concessions raises further concerns. Similarly, in Ecuador, despite being the only country to constitutionally grant rights to nature, enforcement of these rights often falls short, allowing mining companies to exploit the land. This reality highlights broader global inequities, particularly the imbalanced power dynamics between the Global North and Global South. While the Global North advances its energy transition agenda, it continues to exploit resources from the Global South, such as oil, gold, nickel, and palm oil. This raises pressing questions about how to build equitable solidarity that addresses these power imbalances.

This discussion also brings us to reflect on the interconnectedness between gender, religion, and ecological issues, by challenging the perception of women solely as victims, second-class human beings, and born as followers. Instead, it emphasizes women’s agency in protecting nature, disrupting masculine perspectives that view nature as an object to be dominated. Women often embody a perspective of coexistence with nature, seeing it as a partner in sustaining life. This feminine perspective should serve as a foundation for building solidarity—not only among women but also across all humanity and faiths. By embracing this perspective, we can foster equality and destroy the hierarchal paradigm—not only between men and women but also between humans and nature; north and south; majority and minority. This holistic approach offers a pathway toward a more just, sustainable, and harmonious future for all.