Women resisting extractivism – CIDSE

Women resisting extractivism

Conference co-sponsored by CIDSE member, Development and Peace (Canada) with the participation of 45 land defenders from over 20 countries (Montreal, April 27-30, 2018)

From April 27 to 30, Development and Peace partners Chantheany Mout from DPA in Cambodia and Nur Neşe Karahan from Beyond Istanbul in Turkey will join over 40 other women human rights defenders from Quebec, Canada, and around the world at the International Gathering of Women Resisting Extractivism in Montreal. By sharing their experiences and strategies of resistance, as well as by speaking out against the threats they are facing because of their work, the gathering will highlight the impacts of extractivism on Indigenous and non-Indigenous women and the important steps they are taking to ensure the well-being of their communities and their land.

Resource extraction, including mining, gas and oil projects, plus the associate energy projects that they require, heavily impacts communities across the globe. It is increasingly evident that extractive projects are particularly harmful to the lives of women in communities affected by mining, because of environmental destruction, gendered-based violence, and increased social inequity, to name a few.

Women are often not consulted in the decision-making process or in the assessment of the social and environmental impacts of extractive projects. Their voices are not heard, and they are often marginalized, despite their unique perspective and knowledge, and the important role they play in their communities.

The International Gathering of Women Resisting Resource Extraction will include closed sessions where participants are invited to share experiences and strategies with other frontline activists, as well as sessions that are open to the public. Development and Peace partners will participate in the entire gathering.

Indigenous women leaders from across Canada, as well as Asia, Latin America and Africa, will speak about creative and feminist strategies to defend their human rights, territories and communities in the face of large-scale resource extraction. Development and Peace is hosting a discussion panel that will launch the public activities of the program, which include workshops and a cultural evening.

 DP partner Nur Neşe KARAHAN credit DP

Nur Neşe KARAHAN has led resistance against a copper mine and hydroelectric dam projects on Cerattepe Hill, above the town of Artvin in the Black Sea region of Turkey since 1995 as a member of the Green Artvin Association Turkey. She became president of the Association in 2009, which is part of the Beyond Istanbul network, a Development and Peace partner that defends the land rights of communities. A graduate in social sciences, Neşe served as a civil servant for the government from 1975 to 1995. For the last 20 years, she has run a family bakery after her husband passed away. Neşe was born in Artvin in 1956 and has two sons.

 

 DP partner Chantheany MOUT Credit DP resized

Chantheany MOUT is the Coordinator of the Extractive Industry Social and Environmental Impacts (EISEI) Network at Development and Partnership in Action (DPA) in Cambodia. DPA is a long-standing partner of Development and Peace. She holds a Bachelor’s of Engineering from the Institute of Technology of Cambodia. For the last five years, Chantheany has been coordinating DPA’s national EISEI Network, which leads research, influences mining policy, and shares information on the social and environmental impacts of the extractive industry in Cambodia. She has profound knowledge and experience on community engagement in mining and agribusiness projects and represents DPA on a variety of private sector platforms.

 

 

 

Registration to the public session is required due to limited space.

For further information, please contact: Elena Wright, Advocacy & Research Officer (elana.wright(at)devp.org).

This article was originally published on the Development and Peace’s website.
Development and Peace is CIDSE’s member in Canada.

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