Protect women's rights to protect Amazon, say indigenous activists

Gualinga, a climate activist from Ecuador, said women are the main custodians of territories such as the Amazon and defenders of land there. Photos: Nariman El-Mofty/AP

Safeguarding women’s rights in the Amazon is necessary for protecting a region increasingly threatened with deforestation and climate change, indigenous activists said on the sidelines of a global climate conference in Egypt on Nov 16.

The Amazon spans rapidly developing countries in South America including Brazil and Ecuador.