Indigenous Peoples

Indigenous women from Mexico, Guatemala and Peru won the first places of a photography contest in Latin-America and the Caribbean


The contest takes part of the Global Campaign for the Empowerment of Indigenous Women for Zero Hunger

09/05/2018 - 

The Photography Contest “Indigenous Women and Food Security in Latin-America and the Caribbean” received more than 90 photographs taken by indigenous women.

The first places were won by indigenous women from the Zapoteco, the Maya Q’echi’ and the Aymara peoples.

Being an indigenous woman was one of the requirements to participate in this photography contest, that is part of the Global Campaign for the Empowerment of Indigenous Women for Zero Hunger promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Indigenous Women Forum (FIMI/IIWF) and the News Agency of Indigenous and Afro-descendent Women (NOTIMIA).

"The objective is to make visible the different ways in which indigenous women contribute to food security and the economic and social development of their communities," said Guadalupe Martínez, General Coordinator of NOTIMIA.

Jaqueline Roque, from the Zapoteco people in Mexico won the first place, with the photograph named “Coffee Women”,   Alicia Roxana Mucúchoc form the Maya Qéchi’ people of Guatemala get the second place with the photograph “Women without fear to obstacles”, and Rosa Ajrota Iquilla form the Aymara people from Peru received the third place, for her photograph named “Thanking our divinity”.

From tilling the land, collecting herbs and harvesting coffee, to cleaning chili peppers and preparing traditional foods, the photographs reflect the relationship of indigenous women with their land, their territory and the natural resources that guarantee the production of food for their families and their communities.

The winning photographs - together with the seven honorable mentions - will be presented this May 9 in Mexico City as part of the exhibition Indigenous Women of Mexico: Land and Territory.

The gallery can be consulted on the NOTIMIA website.

Indigenous women for Zero Hunger

According to FAO, there are about 185 million indigenous women in the world, who contribute greatly to the sustainable development of their communities, through social and productive activities. However, this contribution is not always recognized.

Under the slogan, #IndigenousWomen, visible women, the campaign calls on governments, the international community, academia, civil society, the media and the indigenous communities to make visible the contribution of indigenous women to social and economic development in disaggregated data and in public policies.

Likewise, the campaign calls to make visible and ensuring the full and effective participation of indigenous women in decision-making processes.

"It is necessary to make progress in national policies, not only in the fight against poverty, especially in policies with a gender approach and an indigenous approach," said José Graziano da Silva, FAO Director General while presenting this campaign, in January of this year in Mexico City.

More information:

NOTIMIA: Agencia de Noticias de Mujeres Indígenas y afrodescendientes

FIMI: Foro Internacional de Mujeres Indígenas

FAO-Pueblos Indígenas