Last month, Sitawi Finanças do Bem and the team from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of the Environment (MMA) were in the Krikati Indigenous Territory, in Maranhão, to monitor the final stage of the project's activities. “"Women as Environmental Agents in Monitoring the Krikati Indigenous Land"” which brings together Krikati and Guajajara women in actions focused on territorial protection, community participation, and strengthening female leadership.
Implemented in 2024 by Sitawi, in partnership with the Wewetyj Community Association of the Recanto dos Cocais Village, and with the community's women's collective, the project aimed to strengthen the territoriality of the peoples through local women's empowerment, cooperation between families, and monitoring of important areas of the territory.
During the visit, the teams listened to the participants and monitored the progress in collective organization, knowledge about the territory, and the women's willingness to take on responsibilities in community actions and territorial protection, observing in practice how the project's activities are being reflected in the participants' lives and in community organization.
Gabriela Guajajara, a participant in the women's collective, says that the project broadened her knowledge about the Krikati Indigenous Territory and her interest in working to protect the territory.
“What has changed in my life since then is the desire to get to know the territory better and learn more about it,” she says. Among the experiences that have most marked her, she highlights the exchange in the Caru Indigenous Land, where the group learned about the work of the Forest Warriors. “I realized that I am capable and that I have a great interest in learning. The project broadened my perspective and encouraged me to seek new knowledge and contribute more to my territory,” she concludes.
Change of perspective
The empowerment of women is also recognized by Sandoval, one of the community leaders. Sandoval recalls that, previously, the association's board was made up only of men and that many women were afraid to take on these roles. "With the arrival of this project, it brought us closer together, strengthened us, and gave us that extra push," she says.
This process also reinforced the importance of knowledge transfer between leaders and generations. Sandoval emphasizes that preparing young people and women who want to learn and take on responsibilities is part of the role of the association and its more experienced leaders.
“"Knowledge of the territory, unity among women, and the occupation of leadership positions remain open paths for future generations," she states. Ana Anacleto, Conservation and Climate Finance Analyst at Sitawi.
Sitawi participated in an extensive selection process for the Floresta+ Amazônia program, along with several other Brazilian organizations, to work in partnership with community-based organizations in the states of the Legal Amazon. The initiative is from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA), with the support of the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
