ESCUELABE: With art and tradition in their hands, women conserve Lima's coastal wetlands
Summary
The artisans of Albuferas de Medio Mundo and El Paraíso (Lima region) are women committed to the conservation of coastal wetlands. Their capacities are strenghtened through the "ESCUELABE: Marine coastal schools for ecosystem-based adaptation", which is implemented by the German development cooperation (EbAMar project) with NGO CooperAcción.
Under the idea: "climate change is affecting wetlands and without them, there is no reed and no economic opportunities", women conserve and make use of wetlands in a sustainable manner. So far, 95 women have strengthened their identity with this ecosystem and their importance in facing climate change.
Clasificaciones
Region
Scale of implementation
Ecosystem
Theme
Other theme
Challenges
Sustainable development goals
Aichi targets
Challenges
The "Women's Artisan School" began its implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic. It did so in the midst of a complicated economic and social context due to the restrictions imposed by the Peruvian state.
Because of COVID-19, the trainings were conducted virtually. As a result, the artisan communities had to learn to use various platforms, thus strengthening their capacities in the use of digital technologies and the management of social networks.
In addition, the pandemic complicated the local context for artisans women, as they were burdened with more responsibilities associated with family care and domestic roles. For this reason, it was complicated to be able to participate continuously in the activities requested by the Women's Artisan School.
Beneficiaries
So far, 95 women have been trained. However, the impact has been much greater, as behind each artisan woman, there are 5 people under her responsibility reaching a total of 475 people benefited.
¿ Cómo interactúan los building blocks en la solución?
Strengthening the artisan women's self-esteem allowed them to gain more confidence in themselves, and consequently in their peers. This was an important aspect to work on, in order to achieve associativity in the context of climate change. Once the artisan women formed a partnership, they would have to start working together towards the same goal. Therefore, they have to develop a strategic planning with an EbA approach to conserve the wetlands, including aspects linked to climate change and the sustainable use of coastal marine ecosystems. In this way, the artisan women grouped under an association, understood that strategic planning is important, as it is the roadmap they will have to follow to achieve climate change adaptation, ecosystem protection, capacity building and the generation of new economic opportunities.
Galería interactiva
Impacts
The "Women's Artisan School" has positively impacted artisan communities and wetlands:
- So far the School has trained 26 women in Medio Mundo, 28 in Paraíso, 17 in Huaral, 24 in Cañete, making a total of 95 women. Behind each artisan woman there are 5 people under her responsibility, meaning that the total number of beneficiaries is 475 people.
- It recognizes the importance of unifying women's organisations as one of the populations most vulnerable to climate change, due to their domestic roles and the burdens of motherhood. Women are essential as they possess the ancestral knowledge that enabled them to manage wetlands and therefore demonstrate that the ecosystem provides essential services to society.
- It has encouraged other women to become more involved in capacity building activities and join women's associations.
- It has facilitated access to new markets and economic opportunities.
- It has strengthened women's identity with their wetlands. The artisan women have a very strong connection with this ecosystem and see it from a maternal point of view, considering the "wetlands" as a female figure that provides opportunities.
- It has led to a better understanding of the importance of this ecosystem in addressing climate change in coastal marine areas.
Story
Vilma Rodriguez Cruz is a woman and master artisan woman who belongs to the Association of "Artesanas de Emprendedoras del Bicentenario" (AAREMBI). They are in charge of the conservation of the wetland "El Paraíso", an ecosystem located in the region of Huacho, Lima - Peru.
Vilma has been weaving for many years, a talent she discovered as a child when she used to weave with her mother. As she grew up, she became more and more passionate about the art of weaving. That was the reason why she joined different associations where she perfected her art.
Vilma has been a member of AAREMBI for 2 years. In the Association she has learnt to weave different stitches of reed fibre. She is currently working with the NGO CooperAcción, training artisanal fishermen and traders from the Asociación Movimiento Juvenil Pachacutano de Ventanilla, an association affected by the Repsol oil spill in the sea, in reed weaving.
In this way, Vilma, as a master artisan woman, helps to conserve the plant fibre extracted from the wetland and the tradition of reed weaving. She and her companions recognize that this material is indispensable for their livelihoods, which is why they are aware of the importance of conserving the wetlands.
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