Roots of Resistance: Indigenous Women Defending Human Rights and Reimagining Power in Africa

Rights on the Line

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Indigenous women human rights defenders in Africa face unique challenges, from standing up to patriarchal norms and fighting land grabs by extractive industries, to resisting the gendered impacts of climate change and forced evictions-

In this episode, we chat to two indigenous women human rights defenders - Janepher Baitwamasa from Uganda, and Ilaria Potipa Loonkolia from Kenya, both of whom organise for women’s rights, land rights and access to justice within their communities.
They’ve faced pushback from within their communities, harassment, and threats. They speak candidly about what it means to work as a woman human rights defender in patriarchal societies, confronting both cultural and systemic violence; and how they continue to resist, organise, and protect land and people.

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