Three indigenous peoples live in the department of San Martín, represented by eight federations and one regional organisation, the Coordinating Committee for the Development and Defence of the Indigenous Peoples of the San Martín Region (CODEPISAM), which is a member of the Inter-Ethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Jungle (AIDESEP).

For a long time, despite initiatives by external co-operation agencies, indigenous women have had little involvement in the organisations representing indigenous peoples in the region. They were confined to their roles of raising children and caring for the family and the community, whilst positions of representation in the public sphere were largely taken up by men. It is only since 2020 that the situation has begun to change, and today the indigenous women of San Martín are a model for women’s participation in indigenous organisations at Amazonian, national and even international levels.

This summary document presents the key insights into how this change has been possible, how women have managed to achieve what fills them with pride today, and how this has enabled them to take on other roles in the public sphere, with their presence and opinions being increasingly valued both within their organisations and in other public forums.

Download the document