Developing a Collective Research Agenda to Support Women Environmental Defenders in Latin America

McKenzie Johnson, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (United States)

Violence against land and environmental defenders is growing, especially in Latin America. Recent work indicates that women defenders experience diverse forms of violence, but especially sexual violence, criminalization, loss of land and resource rights, and livelihood insecurity. To contribute to this line of inquiry, the group “Women Environmental Defenders in the Amazon” worked collectively throughout 2024-2025 to document the experiences, challenges, and needs of women environmental defenders in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. This group highlighted a need for collaborative research grounded in principles of epistemic justice to deepen our understanding of the relationship between conflict, environment, and gender violence. We present insights developed in a 2-day virtual workshop to advance a collective research agenda in support of the work of women defenders. We aim to foster critical knowledge of linkages between gender and environmental violence while building a common agenda that recognizes and responds to the specific needs of women in territorial defense.