More than 350 indigenous women from at least 22 countries of the Americas joined together in Guatemala City from the 16th  to the 20th  of November to take part in the VII Continental Meeting of Indigenous Women from the Americas. Main objectives of the meeting were to discuss about the participation of indigenous peoples in the new agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030, and to debate about indigenous women empowerment, individual and collective rights, traditional knowledge and indigenous women, and climate change. 

Among other personalities, the gathering counted the presence of Diego Recalde, FAO representative in Guatemala, Rosalina Tuyuc, representative of the Coordinadora Nacional de Viudas de Guatemala (CONAVIGUA), Tarcila Rivera, coordinator of the Enlace Continental de Mujeres Indígenas de las Américas (ECMIA), María Machicado, UN Women representative in Guatemala, Valerie Julliand, coordinator of the United Nations System in Gautemala, the Sweden ambassador Georg Andrén and Peace Nobel Price winner Rigoberta Menchú. 

Different indigenous women from all regions highlighted the necessity of mainstreaming gender in all actions of United Nations bodies as well as other development actors. Likewise, they expressed the need to create educational models that take into account their interests and needs as indigenous women, and respect their identity and ancestral traditions. In this sense, they agreed in the necessity of creating specific trainings, such as the one FAO and the International Indigenous Women Forum (IIWF) are implementing, through the National Programmes of the Global Leadership School for Indigenous Women. 

The results of the mapping of programmes and actions for food security in relation to Indigenous peoples in Central America were presented. The following debate highlighted the need to turn good practices on seed conservation and biodiversity into public policy, which would have a positive impact in indigenous peoples food security and nutrition. For more information about the conclusions of the event access the Declaration of the VII Encuentro Continental de Mujeres Indígenas de las Américas. 

This gathering showed the strength, knowledge and determination of indigenous women from the whole Latin American region and beyond, who are demanding a more prominent role in the consecution of food security from their own perspective as indigenous peoples.