Indigenous Women Biodiversity Network (IWBN) history comes from a
journey undertaken by Indigenous Women from the global south, with
a quest to create visibility of Indigenous women’s role in Biodiversity
Conservation. When the Convention on Biological Diversity came to
force in 1993, it was very clear that Indigenous women were not
visible at all, even though the convention encouraged and advocated
for the participation of indigenous Peoples Globally, there was yet
unfinished business reaffirming the full and effective participation.
In 1997, the Spanish Government hosted a technical working group
on Article 8j where Indigenous Peoples form the different regions
attended. It was very clear yet that the participation of Indigenous
Women was minimal and thus a reason for a few indigenous women
and their friends decided on a strategy. During the 4th Conference
of parties to the convention in Bratislave Slovakia, a few indigenous
women with support of the then Netherlands Centre for indigenous
Peoples NCIV with other partners the traditional knowledge network
and helped organized a side event that was the birth of Indigenous
women Biodiversity Network. This was the beginning of a journey
led by two co-chairs Florina Lopez Latin America and Lucy Mulenkei
Africa.
Read More here:IWBN 2020