Meet AIM Grant Recipient: Environmental Women

Earlier this year, Global Health Council awarded its second round of Advocacy in Motion (AIM) Grants to five civil society organizations. These grants are intended to support advocacy, advance health equity, and amplify the voices of local and regional organizations. This month we are featuring one of our winners, Environmental Women.

Based in Colombia, Environmental Women was founded on the premise that the protection of the environment and the promotion of gender equality are inseparable aspects of addressing current and future environmental challenges. The organization works to empower and safeguard indigenous communities facing emerging health challenges related to climate change in the Colombian Amazon basin. We recently interviewed Nadia Paola Rodriguez Mendoza, Assistant Manager at Environmental Women, to learn more about the organization and its work.

Can you tell us about your organization?

Environmental Women is a pioneering eco-feminist organization in Colombia, made up of six indigenous women leaders and supported by a network of 50 volunteers, including academics from the University of Amazonas and members of the Ticuna community. Our mission focuses on addressing the critical intersections between social justice, climate change, and gender equity in the Colombian Amazon Basin, which is a UNESCO-recognized Biosphere Reserve.

Since our founding, we have been at the forefront of innovative initiatives that seek to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change, which manifest in extreme patterns of drought and flooding, exacerbating the exposure of vulnerable communities to waterborne diseases. Our work has revealed that up to 35% of epidemics in regions similar to the Amazon are linked to the ingestion of contaminated water, with alarming prevalences of pathogens such as Escherichia coli and rotavirus, disproportionately affecting children under five years of age.

In response, Environmental Women has led the “Climately Integrated Management of PPRR in the Colombian Amazon Basin” program, aimed at strengthening local capacities for pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (PPPR). Through this program, we have developed PPPR advocacy plans, organized advocacy meetings with civil society organizations (CSOs) and government officials, and created educational materials to raise awareness about the urgency of our struggles. Our holistic approach not only seeks to close PPPR gaps at the national and regional levels, but also foster a culture of resilience and environmental sustainability, while promoting gender equity and empowering indigenous women as agents of change in their communities.

This year’s grant is focused on pandemic preparedness. What were some of the challenges your organization, and your community, encountered in facing past pandemics like COVID-19?

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Environmental Women and the indigenous communities of the Colombian Amazon Basin faced multifaceted challenges, including limited access to health services, the spread of misinformation, language barriers, economic insecurity, heightened risk due to climate-related droughts and floods, and social isolation that threatened the preservation of cultural practices. These challenges were exacerbated by our region’s remote location, lack of adequate health infrastructure, and pre-existing socioeconomic vulnerabilities.

In response to these challenges, Environmental Women mobilized to adapt its intervention strategies, focusing on health promotion, education, and strengthening community resilience in the face of future pandemics. Our experience with COVID-19 underscored the importance of pandemic preparedness that is inclusive, culturally sensitive, and adapted to the realities of indigenous communities in the Amazon basin.

What do you think is missing from global pandemic preparedness planning efforts? What would you like to see changed, at the global, national, and local level?

Environmental Women advocates for a holistic and multi-sector approach to pandemic preparedness that recognizes the interconnection between human, animal, and environmental health (One Health approach) and prioritizes equity, inclusion, and sustainability in all planning and response levels. Our experience, rooted in working directly with vulnerable and marginalized communities, has given us unique insight into the gaps in current pandemic preparedness and response strategies.

Globally, pandemic preparedness strategies are often designed without significant participation from indigenous and local communities who possess essential knowledge about biodiversity and ecosystem management. It’s imperative to include indigenous voices in pandemic preparedness planning and to increase equity in access to resources, including vaccines

Nationally, priorities should include strengthening public health systems and creating more inclusive health policies that consider the specific needs of vulnerable groups, including women, indigenous communities, and rural populations. Locally, the COVID-19 pandemic revealed a lack of access to reliable information in local languages, which contributed to the spread of the virus. Training community leaders, creating accessible educational materials, and developing community early warning systems  can significantly improve pandemic preparedness at the local level.

What is the biggest challenge your organization is facing today?

The greatest challenge facing Environmental Women lies in the complex intersection of environmental, social, and public health vulnerabilities within the Colombian Amazon basin. Our challenges are complex and include the increasing prevalence of waterborne diseases, challenges in the implementation of public health measures, economic and social vulnerability, cultural and linguistic barriers in risk communication, and loss of biodiversity in degraded ecosystems.

In the face of these challenges, Environmental Women strives to develop and implement integrated strategies that address both climate change mitigation and pandemic preparedness and response. This includes strengthening local health infrastructure, promoting sustainable natural resource management practices, and fostering community resilience through education and training. The task is formidable but essential to protect the health and well-being of indigenous communities and preserve the rich biodiversity of the Colombian Amazon basin.

What are you currently doing to overcome these challenges? What help do you need to overcome them?

Environmental Women’s approach focuses on the integration of public health, environmental sustainability, and gender equity to strengthen community resilience and improve preparedness for future pandemics. Currently, we’re working to strengthen local capacity, develop health infrastructure, build awareness and education campaigns, and monitor environmental research.

Overcoming these challenges requires a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach. Areas where we require additional support include sustainable funding, technology, training, strategic collaboration, and public policy support. Environmental Women is committed to creating a healthier, more sustainable future for communities in the Colombian Amazon Basin, but the success of our efforts largely depends on the continued support of the global community.

How are you hoping the AIM grant will help your organization?

The Advocacy in Motion (AIM) grant represents a transformative opportunity for Environmental Women, allowing us to broaden and deepen our impact in the Colombian Amazon Basin in the face of the interconnected challenges of climate change, pandemics, and gender inequality. We hope the AIM grant will facilitate the following advancements in our organization and community:

1. Expansion of Health Training and Pandemic Prevention Programs: We plan to train an additional 100 community leaders and healthcare workers in advanced disease prevention techniques, health emergency management, and effective communication strategies.
2. Development and Distribution of Educational Materials: The grant will enable the production of 5,000 brochures and digital educational materials focused on pandemic prevention and hygiene practices in indigenous languages.
3. Implementation of Environmental Monitoring Systems: We will invest a portion of the grant in equipment for monitoring water quality and early detection of pathogens, directly benefiting 3,000 inhabitants of the region.
4. Strengthening Advocacy and Collaboration Networks: The funds will be used to organize two advocacy workshops, bringing together CSOs, community leaders, and government officials to discuss and promote more inclusive and effective public health policies.
5. Evaluation and Continuous Improvement: Part of the grant will go towards evaluating the effectiveness of our interventions, allowing us to continually adjust and improve our strategies to maximize impact.

The AIM grant allows us to scale our operations, improve our communities’ pandemic preparedness and response, and move toward a more resilient and equitable future. It will not only strengthen our organizational capacity, but will also reinforce public health infrastructure in one of the most biodiverse and vulnerable regions in the world.

What is the most important message you want to give to global health decision makers about pandemic preparedness? 

Our key message for global health decision-makers is the urgency of recognizing and addressing the interconnections between human health, animal health, ecosystems, and socioeconomic and cultural determinants of health. We must adopt a One Health approach to prevent and mitigate future pandemics in a world that is increasingly interconnected and affected by climate change.

Is there anything else you’d like us to know?

In the context of our work, it’s crucial to highlight the intersection between the climate crisis, public health, and gender equity, especially in vulnerable regions such as the Colombian Amazon basin. Unique challenges and opportunities existing in pandemic preparedness and response underscore the importance of integrated and sustainable approaches. A renewed global commitment to financing, cross-sector collaboration and the inclusion of marginalized voices is essential to building a more just and resilient future.