The call is now open until September 5th! Participate!

Under the framework of the Global Campaign for the Empowerment of Indigenous Women for Zero Hunger, FAO and Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) launch the “Indigenous women and food security in Asia” Photo contest.

We invite all indigenous women from Asia to participate in this initiative that seeks to highlight the different ways in which indigenous women contribute to food security and the economic and social development of their communities.

The best ten photos will be part of a photographic exhibition that will take place in FAO headquarters and in international forums, to raise awareness on indigenous women's experiences, needs and concerns.

 “Indigenous women are key allies in the fight against hunger and malnutrition. They contribute to sustainable livelihoods as food producers, guardians of native seeds and custodians of traditional knowledge. Yet they are invisible, and their rights are not recognized nor protected’, said Naw Ei Ei Min, of the Karen peoples Indigenous Women from Myanmar.

The Global Campaign for the Empowerment of Indigenous Women for Zero Hunger is promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Indigenous Women’s Forum (FIMI/IIWF) and the News Agency of Indigenous and Afro-descendent Women (NOTIMIA).

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  indigenous women’s contributions to social and economic development in disaggregated data and in public policies, visible.

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

As part of the Global Campaign, this photography contest also took place in Latin-America. The best ten pictures can be viewed here.

Asia is home to the largest number of indigenous peoples on Earth, with an estimated 260 million out of a total of 370 million. However, Asian indigenous peoples and particularly, Asian indigenous women are among the poorest of the poor, often facing denial of rights, discrimination, marginalization and loss of control over their lands and natural resources.

Click here to review the contest rules and participate! The call closes on September 5, 2018.