March is marked as the month of struggle for women’s rights. In the streets of Quito and in the Casa de la Cultura agora, indigenous women were present, as well as women from feminist movements and dissidents. For women from faraway places, raising their voices in the capital meant making various efforts. Katty Machoa, Amazonian Kichwa leader, talks about the March 8, 2023 Women’s March, the challenges facing Amazonian women and the importance of organic struggle at the local level.

Katty is a researcher, psychologist and master of Latin American studies, she was the leader of Conaia Women (2014-2017) and Confeniae (2021-2022). She is present in the fight for collective rights and nature, following defenders in a state of criminalization due to social protest. The leader comments that we are currently going through a context of great pain as a nation after the assassination of Eduardo Mendúa, the leader of Ai Cofán, on February 26. He led the fight against Petroecuador, preventing its entry to extract oil from the Aguarico River. The women’s choir marked that fact and made it visible.

It is very important for a leader to recognize women as actors in the struggle. For this reason, Confeniae has been promoting the Puyo women’s march since 2016, and this year, without leaving that local area, they are also present in Quito, at one of the largest women’s marches in our country. Amazonian women suffer the highest rates of violence, adolescent pregnancy, rape, illiteracy, and less access to education, protection, and health services (Diagnoza of Amazonian Women, 2019). For example, in communities as far-flung as the Achuar, the order of parents prevails and imposes the surrender of girls to grown men for marriage.

Fighting in organizational and collective processes among women means giving new meaning to the life of each woman…

Katty comments: “We’re marching because maybe we want the same thing as everyone else, but we’re saying it as women, because we can all talk about what it means to be a woman in the territory, about how we feel about the conflicts in the territories, which we talk about as women, fundamental actors in the struggle. We saw that we are the key players in the 2019 strike, but March 8th means a space that is more ours, where we are visible and that is not everyday, it is this split that emboldens and strengthens us, and not to mention more invisibility, there is no more bullying”. In addition, spaces of struggle can also be a pedagogical space where one can talk about what is happening to them, and at the same time teach new generations with their voice about the possibilities of changing life patterns.

Struggle in organizational and collective processes among women means giving new meaning to the life of each woman, personal processes affect others as well, that is why it is so necessary to work from all angles and create spaces that give us the opportunity to understand the structures that offend us and that we have to continue to resist. (OR)

Photo courtesy of Miguel Imbaquing. The fight of Amazonian women against mining exploitation.

Kichwa version

Quitopi runa warmikuna tantanahushka

Pawkar killapimi warmikunapa hatun hatariykunata rikuchik, uyanchik, yarinchik. Shinami Quitopa ñankunapi, Agora of the House of Culture ukupipash hatun warmikunapak tantanahuyta rikurkanchik, chaypimi runa warmikuna, feminist warmikuna, shuk shuk kawsay runakuna tantanahurka. Ñukanchik runa warmikuna, karu aylllullaktakunamanta llukshishpa Quitoman rishpa rimashpaka, ñukanchikpash kashna warmikunata tatachishpa, ñukancikmanta rimay ushanchikmi nishpami shayarinahurkanchik. Shinami Katy Machoa, Antisuyumanta apak runa warmika kaypi willan imashalla rikuchina kan kay pawkar killa, pusak punchapi sachamanta warmikuna imashalla kawsakta, imalla mutsurikta, imashpa alli tantanahushpa katinata riman.

Katymi maskak kan, shinallatak psychologist, Abya Yalamanta yachaykunapi master. Payka CONAIEpi (2014-2017), CONFENAIpash (2021-2022), Warmikunapak apak kashka. Chaypimi runakunapa kamachiynakuykunamanta, allpa mamapa kamachuynakuykunamanta ashtaka kaparishka kan. Shinallatak paro kipa llakikunawan runakunatapash kunpashpa. Paymi nin, kay warmikunapa hatun tantanahuypika, Eduardo Mendun cofán taytarami yarishpa karkanchik nin. Paytami kay February 26 punchapi wañuchishka pay chakrapi llamkahunkakaman. Paypa kawsaypika Petroecuadortami ashtakata harkarka ama Aguarico mayu mañakunaman yaykushpa yana kurita surkuchun. Kashnami ninanta llakikuna mirahun ñukanchik mamallaktapi, chaypika warmikunapash ashtawan llakipi kanchik.

Pay, apak warmika ninmi, ñukachik runa warmikunapash kashna tatanakuytaka ñukachikmi ruray kallarina kanchik nin, mana shukkuna kunpitakpilla kawsanachu kanchik. Shinami, 2016 watamanta CONFENAIEmanta warmikunawan hatun marchakunata Puyopi shinay kallarirka, tukuy punchakunapi March 8. Shina hawami, kunanka Quitomanpash rishkanchik nin, chaypimi hatun hatun warmi tantanakuyta rurashka. Antisuyumanta runa warmikunami, ashtawan hatun llakikunata kawsanahun, violence, teenage pregnancy, rape, illiteracy, shinallatak yachakuna ukukunamanpash, hampi wasikunamanpash mana rita ushanchu, yapa karupi kashpa, yapata pushakkuna kay allpakunata kunkashka kakpipash (Diagnosis 2019 of Amazonian women), Shinami Katy nin, Achuar ayllullaktaka karu karupi kan, shinallatakmmi chaymanta taytakunaka paypa wawa ushikunata karashpa sawarichin ruku taytakunawan nin.

Chaymi runa warmikuna kaparina kanchik kashna llakikuna rikurichun, shayarichun kay March 8 punchakunapika nin. Tukuylla warmikuna chaytallatami munanchik, alli kawsankapak, shinapash ñukanchikllata ñukanchikmanta rimashpa ashtawan alli kan, ñuknachikmi yachanchik imashalla karupi kawsanahushpa, imashalla runa warmi kaymanta kawsashkata niy ushanchik, allpata llakichiknatapash. Ñukanchik warmikunaka 2019 paropipash sinchi shayarirkanchik shinapash kay March 8 nishka punchaka ñukanchik warmikunapaklla kan, chaypimi rikuchinchik ñukanchikpa llakikunata, shinashpa ama kashna ashtawan tiyachun ninchik”. Kashna warmipura kantanahuykunata rurashpaka ashtaka alli kan, chaypimi ranti ranti yachahurin, ashtawan maltunlla warmikunaka shukkunata usyashpa yachahun, katipika ama shina kawsankapak, shinallatak, ashtawan paya mamakunaka paykuna llaki kawsashkata willashpa warmipurasintawanar.arishintawanar. Chaymi kan ñukachik runakunapa March 8.

Runa apak warmi kaytin, feminismmantapash rimashpa warmikunapa kamachinakuykunata sinchiyachiyntin mana pankalla kashkachu. Dirigencia ukupi kakpika politicamanpash yaykuna rikurishkan nin, chaypika kari kunpakunallami ashatawan kashka, paykuna ña yachan imashalla kuyurinata, imashalla ruranata chaypika warmikunapa kamachiynakuykunata mana rikushpapash yallinkallami, chaymi payka shina politicataka mana pacha rurashachu yashpa shamushka, chaypika paypa kari kunpakunataka manchaytapash sakispami kayka na allichu nishpa shayarishka , kaytaka na munanichu, kaytaka sakinami nishpa rimashpa shamushka Katy mamaka. Shinallatak feminismanta rimaypash sinchilla kashka, yachanchikmi runa warmikunapaka ashtawan sinchi kan hatun yachana ukukunapi yaykushpa yachakuna, chay ukukunapimi ashtawan kashna rimaykunaka wiñarishka kan, chay yuyaykunami ñukataka yanapashka kan nimi.

Imasha nirkanchik ñahalla, warmipura tantanahushpa pakta hatarishpaka ñukanchik warmikunapa alli kawsaytami maskanahunchik, shuk shuk warmikunapa kawsayta yachashpaka, pakta harkarita ushanchik nishpa yachahunahunchik. Chaymi Katy mamaka nin, feminism yachayka mana na munay na munay yachachinachu kan, ashatwankarin shuk tantanakuypa munaymi kana nin. Shinallatak feminism shimika mana yapa rimarishka kakpipash mana imapash problem tiyanachu, ashtawanmi sinchimi kana llakikunatara kaparishpa harkarishpa, shinallatak ashatawan sinchimi kana kan, tantanakuy ukupi tukuylla ama ñukanchikpura llaki aparishpa, alliman tukuylla kana kanchik tukuylla tuyhuphika. (OR)