“Defending our forests is defending our lives”: Indigenous women at the frontlines in the Philippines 

The forests of the Philippines are among the most biodiverse on Earth, yet they face enormous pressures from mining and deforestation. Indigenous women, often the first to bear the brunt of these threats, are also among the strongest defenders. 

Header photo: © Lilak

The Philippines is one of the world’s most mineral-rich countries, home to vast reserves of nickel, copper and gold – minerals that are used in the global energy, digital and military transitions. Yet much of these deposits lie under ancestral domains, forests and watersheds that Indigenous Peoples have safeguarded for generations. Mining concessions overlap with biodiversity hotspots, critical watersheds and community farmlands. 

Women on the frontline 

For Indigenous women, this is not just an environmental issue. Forests provide water, food, medicine and cultural identity. When mining threatens these ecosystems, it also threatens women’s health, safety, and rights. Many face harassment, violence, or displacement when they speak out. As one Teduray woman said: “If the forest goes, our life goes with it.” 

It is in this fragile and contested landscape that Lilak (Purple Action for Indigenous Women’s Rights) as part of the Forests for a Just Future programme of the Green Livelihoods Alliance (GLA) works with Indigenous women human rights defenders to strengthen women’s leadership, protect civic space and promote inclusive and equitable forest governance.  

Strengthening Indigenous women’s agency 

At the same time, local collectives like TK3 (Tanggol Karapatan ng Katutubong Kababaihan) documented cases of violence against women in BARMM. These testimonies were presented to the Commission on Human Rights and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, giving weight to advocacy and showing that women’s voices cannot be silenced. 

Leadership breakthroughs also took place. At the Timfada Limod assembly, the highest decision-making space in the Teduray Lambangian Justice and Governance system, two women were formally recognized as leaders. For the first time, women’s perspectives on livelihoods, security and gender-based violence were integrated into formal governance. 

Alliances for stronger voices 

Lilak’s strength lies not only in community work but also in connecting local struggles to national and international movements. The Women and Mining Working Group within Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) placed gender justice at the heart of anti-large-scale, destructive mining advocacy. Partnerships with the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center (LRC) and Task Force Bantay Kalikasan (TFBK) gave communities legal, technical and advocacy support. 

Through these alliances, Indigenous women’s stories of resistance reached beyond their villages, shaping national debates on mining, forests and human rights. 

Lessons from the frontlines 

Important insights have emerged. These lessons highlight what sustains Indigenous women’s resistance, transforms governance and how local struggles ripple into global change.” Several lessons stand out: 

• Care is part of resistance. As threats grow, so does the need for collective protection and psychosocial support. Resilience is built through solidarity, not just security protocols. 

• Women’s leadership changes governance. When women’s voices enter decision-making spaces, priorities shift toward rights, livelihoods and gender justice. This strengthens both communities and conservation. 

• Local struggles fuel global change. Testimonies from Indigenous women not only influence local governments but also contribute to national bills and international advocacy on forests and rights. 

Lilak and its partners will continue supporting these women’s leadership, documenting their struggle  and amplifying their calls for justice. Because as the women defenders remind us: “Defending our forests is defending our lives – and the lives of future generations.” 

The Forest for a Just Future programme 

In the Forests for a Just Future programme of the Green Livelihoods Alliance, IUCN NL contributes to more sustainable and inclusive governance of tropical forests, in a way that promotes climate mitigation, water provisioning, biodiversity and human rights and that safeguards the livelihoods of Indigenous peoples and local communities (IP&LCs).