Editor’s choice
Editor’s choice
part of Environment and policy in Asia
In this second episode of the miniseries on women environmental defenders, we talk with Indira Shreesh from Indigenous Women Legal Awareness Group (INWOLAG) in Nepal and Kakay Tolentino from Bai Indigenous Women’s Network in the Philippines.
Dayoon (00:00:37–00:00:52):
Hello everyone, I’m Dayoon Kim, a research associate from SEI Asia. Our episode today is about women environmental human rights defenders and their powerful and inspiring work on the ground that contributes to social and environmental justice.
Dayoon (00:00:53–00:01:08):
We have two very special guests today: Indira Sheesh from the Indigenous Women Legal Awareness Group in Nepal, and Kakay Tolentino from the Bai Indigenous Women’s Network in the Philippines.
Indira (00:01:09–00:01:28):
I’m Advocate Indira Shreesh. I belong to the Magar Indigenous community in Nepal and I lead the Indigenous Women Legal Awareness Group, or INWOLAG. We work to support Indigenous women.
Kakay (00:01:29–00:02:02):
Good afternoon, good morning, good evening to everyone. I’m Kakay Tolentino, an Indigenous Lumad woman from the Sierra Madre mountain range in central Luzon, Philippines. I’m currently the National Coordinator of the Bai Indigenous Women’s Network. I’m also a human rights and environmental defender.
Dayoon (00:02:03–00:02:12):
Thank you. Let’s begin with our first question: What drives you to fight for environmental and human rights?
Indira (00:02:13–00:04:17):
When I think about what drives me, I go back to my childhood. I grew up in a remote area of Nepal and survived a devastating flood and landslide that destroyed our village. Homes, farmland, livestock—everything was lost. Most families had to migrate and were disconnected from their ancestral land, traditions, and culture. We received no help from the government or NGOs. Later, I witnessed many forms of discrimination, especially against Indigenous women. They suffer from climate impacts, poverty, and gender-based violence. As a lawyer and environmental advocate, I now dedicate my life to defending Indigenous women’s rights.
Dayoon (00:04:18–00:04:48):
Thank you for sharing that, Indira. Environmental degradation, climate change, and development projects create huge challenges. Can you share a specific challenge you’ve faced, and how you’ve addressed it?
Indira (00:04:49–00:06:01):
Indigenous women play a key role in biodiversity conservation, yet they are rarely recognized as rights holders. For example, during the creation of Chitwan National Park in Nepal, at least 25 Indigenous girls were raped—six of them repeatedly—and entire communities were forcibly relocated from their land without compensation. Despite legal recognition on paper, Indigenous peoples see little benefit from conservation or climate policies. To address this, we’re building community-based groups to empower Indigenous women through education, economic support, and legal advocacy.
Indira (00:06:02–00:06:49):
We organize adult literacy programs, environmental campaigns, and rights-based education. We also support alternative income-generating activities to build economic resilience. Our goal is to empower Indigenous women and influence policymakers to recognize their role and rights in environmental and social justice.
Dayoon (00:06:50–00:07:24):
Thank you, Indira. Your efforts through INWOLAG and grassroots organizations are powerful. We hope this podcast amplifies your voice and message. Now, Kakay—you’re deeply involved in Indigenous rights and environmental defense. What key lessons would you share with fellow defenders?
Kakay (00:07:25–00:07:58):
We must stay connected to communities on the ground. Live with them. Learn with them. Our ancestral lands define our lives and identities. Indigenous practices and knowledge are at the heart of our self-determination. These traditions aren’t just culture—they’re our defense mechanisms for protecting land and life.
Kakay (00:07:59–00:08:30):
Indigenous knowledge plays a crucial role in environmental protection. Our forests, rivers, and territories are rich in resources. They are not just for Indigenous people—they are national treasures. Protecting them is part of building our nation with freedom, sovereignty, and democracy.
Dayoon (00:08:31–00:08:44):
Thank you, Kakay. Who do you consider critical allies in your struggle, and what support do you need from them?
Kakay (00:08:45–00:09:31):
Our strongest allies are students, professionals, and religious groups who are willing to live and learn with us. They join us in the community, teach with us, eat and sleep with us. Politicians can be partners, but alliances with them are often temporary—they usually serve their own interests. True solidarity comes from those who stand beside us in our daily struggles.
Kakay (00:09:32–00:10:02):
Right now, our government treats us like we’re not citizens. We’re labeled as terrorists, massacred, and displaced. Our rights are constantly violated. The root cause is imperialist greed—corporations want our natural resources, and they use violence to take them.
Kakay (00:10:03–00:10:41):
What’s happening today—mass killings, displacements, and human rights violations—is driven by imperialist greed. They plunder our ancestral lands for resources. If we don’t defend our territories, there will be nothing left for us or future generations. This is why Indigenous people must continue to resist.
Dayoon (00:10:42–00:10:48):
Kakay and Indira, would you like to share a final message with a broader audience?
Kakay (00:10:49–00:11:14):
We Indigenous peoples call on the masses to join hands in defending basic human rights. We must unite to protect our ancestral lands and natural resources—because they are the last frontier of national patrimony and the last defense against environmental destruction.
Indira (00:11:15–00:11:35):
Organizing poor and illiterate Indigenous women takes time. It requires long-term strategy and practical action. They need education and income-generating support to empower them to stand up against discrimination and claim their rights.
Indira (00:11:36–00:12:04):
A combination of need-based and rights-based approaches is essential. Sustainable change is only possible when people are empowered through both knowledge and economic opportunity.
Dayoon (00:12:05–00:12:28):
Thank you, Indira and Kakay, for participating in our podcast and sharing your experiences and insight. To our listeners—if you want to learn more, please visit the social media channels of INWOLAG and the Bai Indigenous Women’s Network to support their important work on the ground.
The miniseries on women environmental defenders explores how women defenders across Asia are challenging the structural causes of disaster vulnerability, seeking socio-environmental justice and equitable decision-making in disaster risk reduction efforts.
Indira Shreesh
Kakay Tolentino
Below is an extract from the second episode in our miniseries on women environmental defenders.
The two women environmental defenders explain how disasters entail losing what matters the most to them, which is not just land and livelihoods but also community bonds and traditional practices. Since all of these are closely linked to their sense of identity, their loss also affects their adaptiveness and resilience. These experiences of loss are lived as disasters themselves.
In Kakay’s view: “Since I was young, I witnessed how the corporate plundering and concessions devastated our forest and caused heavy erosion of the mountains, while floods that affected our rice paddies and vegetable gardens.”
Against these challenges, environmental defenders protect their identity, community, and environment and ensure their well-being through various forms of mobilizations, addressing the impacts of the development projects. They also proactively work to address the root causes of vulnerabilities via education, building solidarity, supporting marginalized groups, and lobbying to ensure socio-environmental justice.
In Indira’s work, she focused on empowerment efforts:
We are initiating a capacity development [project for] indigenous people, especially the indigenous women through education and economic empowerment. We are forming an indigenous women’s group that has several awareness campaigns such as adult literacy classes, environmental conservation and right-based approach classes including alternative income-generating activities. We are focusing on empowering indigenous women and advocacy to policymakers.
Indira Shreesh
Project / The programme aims to enhance regional cooperation on inclusive risk reduction approaches by building on good practice examples in the region and offer support.
SEI report / Learn about the challenges and opportunities for the IFRC Network in developing anticipatory action for disaster management.
Perspective / In ASEAN, empowering youth to foster a circular mindset is critical for a sustainable future.
Journal article / This paper intends to explore some of the opportunities and challenges for participatory projects to generate more sustainable and inclusive DRR practices.
