Security and Self-Protection Plan for Environmental Defenders

Environmental defenders, women who carry out actions of struggle in multiple spaces, both physical and digital, and put their bodies on the line to defend their territories and protect their communities, are at risk. They, who are present in the streets, on the roads, on the radio, in the media, on social networks, trying to make visible the violations of human and environmental rights, as well as to put a stop to these injustices, live in an alarming and violent situation, aggravated by the context of the pandemic.

The response of the different levels of government to the social and economic deficiencies, historical and current, continues to be based on the free path to all forms of extractivism and the deepening of neoliberal policies. The advance of these political decisions towards the territories affects physical, mental and spiritual health, and is comparable with the advance of violence towards the bodies. The figures for femicides and gender violence are also alarming: women in rural areas do not have effective and inclusive public policies that guarantee gender equality.

As environmental defenders who are on the front lines of conflicts, they have a clear view of the problems and challenges imposed by the current context: increasing inequality and impoverishment in communities. State assistance policies do not reach rural, urban and indigenous women who are most vulnerable. Lack of access to health in indigenous and rural communities, exacerbated in the context of the pandemic. Care tasks not recognized as work to be paid have increased. Women have taken on the increased burden of these tasks: the role of educators, nurses and caregivers for the elderly. The lack of access to the right to land and territory for women prevents the implementation of other rights. Today, defending the right to land and territory is a risk factor for the safety of defenders and their communities due to the lack of state protection policies.

In addition, deforestation, the advance of the agricultural frontier, monoculture, the mining and hydrocarbon industries are destroying our biodiversity, both natural and human. The effects of the climate crisis are intensified by extractivism, which is sustained at the expense of the plundering of our natural and social resources. The scarcity of water in our territories due to the tendency towards privatization is exacerbated by drought, as is the case in Chaco. The socio-environmental violence of landowners, extractive companies and state agents is worsening. As the agricultural and mining sectors have more state permits to expand, deforestation, the use of poisonous agrochemicals and intentional fires for private businesses are increasing.

At the same time, fundamentalist expressions are experienced that persecute feminism, organized women and therefore the women’s, peasant and indigenous movement. In Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay the situation is aggravated when they are accused of breaking social peace and democracy, they are persecuted and criminalized.

Within this framework, from the Environmental Defenders Program, a strategic line of action of the Plurales Foundation and the Southern Women’s Fund, we seek to strengthen women’s organizations that address Climate Change, through a Gender Justice perspective. We support the defense of territories harassed by extractivism, pollution and the loss of prominence of local actors.

Women environmental defenders are often criminalized and victims of violence because with their struggles and strong leadership they not only confront the capital and interests of extractive companies, but they also break into public spheres (streets, social networks, roads, etc.) breaking traditional gender roles. From this Program we made a series of short videos on Security and Self-Protection Plans that contribute to processes of effective climate participation through advocacy and transformation to make Environmental Justice effective, ensuring the safety of those who put their bodies on the line.

In these six chapters, each lasting a maximum of 2 minutes, the steps to create a security plan are detailed. How to analyze the context, what is Security and what is Protection, recognize and differentiate threats and risks, and the capacities or resources that women defenders have that improve security.