In addition to assert their land rights, women must defend themselves against discrimination due to the fact they are women. In Montes de María, for example, Afro women leaders work the land without the certainty of being able to enjoy it in the future. As they reclaiming the land, they struggle to access quality natural resources and inhabit a healthy environment that makes life possible in their territories.
EspañolAlthough scarce due to monocultures, two organisations have gained access to land on which they are developing sustainable agroecological work, but their rights are compromised: when the main obstacle is not the lack of legal security, the fact that they are women becomes ‘carte Blanche to take away their land.
Ten years after a court order was issued to guarantee water and sanitation services, rural communities in the municipality of María La Baja still do not have access to this vital liquid. Dozens of families complain of gastrointestinal infections and skin reactions, which they attribute to the poor quality of the water. Women are at the forefront of this struggle, as leaders and essential heads of households.
The municipal government has failed to guarantee access to water, as confirmed by Aguas de Bolívar. Meanwhile, the oil palm industry may be degrading water quality, affecting the right to access water.
