Project with indigenous women strengthens traditional communities for forest conservation

The International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, which is celebrated every year on 9 August, focuses on these communities and their valuable knowledge. The Brazilian state of Mato Grosso is home to 43 indigenous peoples. The REM Mato Grosso (REM MT) programme is being implemented there with funding from KfW Development Bank. REM MT aims to protect the forest in the state and counteract deforestation. The programme is specifically committed to valuing and strengthening indigenous communities, as they protect and preserve the forest in traditional ways. Around ten initiatives are being implemented with indigenous women in Mato Grosso. These include the "Jewellery and Forest Knowledge" project, which enhances the culture and traditional knowledge of women and thus strengthens their personal responsibility and role in society.

The project, implemented specifically by Rikbaktsa women and coordinated by the Rikbaktsa Indigenous Women's Association (AIMURIK), began in 2022 and reaches 39 villages in the territories of Erikbaktsa, Japuíra and Escondido.

The main objectives are to promote traditional knowledge of medicinal herbs and handicrafts developed by women. At the same time, administrative structures are being strengthened to enable the increased participation of women through appropriate production and cultural practices, thereby deepening traditional, medical and craft knowledge in the areas.