Voices of indigenous women human rights defenders from the Philippines

The non-recognition of indigenous peoples’ rights to their ancestral lands in the Philippines remains to be their core problem. The laws and policies promulgated by the Philippine government, especially those that pertain to the use and ownership of lands, deprive the indigenous peoples the right to manage, own, control and utilise their territories and resources found therein. The government’s economic policies of liberalisation, privatisation, and deregulation facilitate the massive encroachment and influx of various extractive industries into indigenous peoples’ ancestral territories which undermine indigenous peoples’ right to self- determination.

The indigenous women human rights defenders in the Philippines have been at the forefront of the struggle for recognition of indigenous peoples’ rights and protection of their ancestral lands. The video highlights the continuing struggle of the indigenous peoples and the crucial role of indigenous women as leaders in defending their ancestral lands and their right to self-determination.