With debates on health, culture and combating gender-based violence, ATIX-Mulher reaffirmed its strength in territorial governance
The Women's Movement of the Xingu Indigenous Territory (MMTIX) held its VII General Assembly between November 1 and 4, 2024, at the Pavuru hub, in the Médio Xingu region, Mato Grosso, to elect the new executive coordinator who will represent the indigenous women of 16 peoples settled in around 200 villages located in the Xingu Indigenous Territory (TIX).
MMTIX, or ATIX-Mulher, was founded in 2019 and seeks to articulate and unite indigenous women for emancipation and participation in political decisions, both inside and outside their villages.
The meeting brought together more than 300 people, including men and women, representing different ethnic groups, such as the Yawalapiti, Kalapalo, Kaiabi, Matipu, Yudja, Ikpeng, Trumai, Kuikuro, Suiá, Kamaiurá, Mehinako peoples, among others.
Also participating were women who are part of the Federation of Indigenous Peoples and Organizations of Mato Grosso (Fepoimt Mulher), Takiná - Organization of Indigenous Women of Mato Grosso, the Union of Indigenous Women of the Brazilian Amazon (UMIAB), the National Articulation of Indigenous Women Warriors of Ancestry (ANMIGA) and the Amazon Cooperation Network (RCA), made up of 14 indigenous and indigenist organizations, enabling exchange between peoples and ethnicities.
During the four days of the meeting, in addition to cultural presentations, topics related to the management and governance of ATIX-Mulher were discussed, such as accountability, evaluations and the election of the new coordinator, as well as issues that affect the lives of indigenous people in the territory in the areas of health, culture and violence against women.
At the opening of the assembly, the table was composed of more than ten female chiefs and leaders from Xingu. Some chiefs also participated in the opening and demonstrated support for the indigenous women's movement.
During the debate on the political advocacy strategy, some women requested improvements in the quality of care at Indigenous Health Centers (CASAI), especially in Canarana (MT), claiming that treatment has been inadequate for patients, especially the elderly, in addition to the lack of infrastructure in the area.
The theme of culture, which addressed various aspects such as nature and cultural manifestations through dances, songs, graphics and rituals, was also widely debated by the participants.
For the accountability, the executive coordinator of MMTIX, Watatakalu Yawalapiti, listed the projects carried out and underway in the Xingu region and the resources acquired through partnerships with the Norwegian Rainforest Foundation, the Norwegian Embassy in Brazil, the Socioenvironmental Institute (ISA), Rewild Brasil and, more recently, with the Brazilian Biodiversity Fund (Funbio), UN Women and the French government.
According to Watatakalu Yawalapiti, who has been coordinating ATIX-Mulher since 2019, the initiative that resulted in the creation of a department focused on women at the Xingu Indigenous Land Association (ATIX) arose due to the lack of representation and visibility of indigenous women inside and outside the territory.
“The MMTIX allowed us to occupy decision-making spaces regarding our rights and way of life, for example,” said the coordinator. “There was also a conflict between leaders in the region and the women helped to change this situation, because, through fundraising, we benefited the entire Xingu with projects that sought to generate income in the communities and keep the forest standing,” stated Yawalapiti.
“Now, after six years of coordination, I see that we have created a giant network of multipliers to guarantee our rights and build a different future for our daughters,” she concluded.
Violence against indigenous women
The specific agenda on violence against women was facilitated by psychologist Iterniza Pereira, from the Macuxi people, who is part of the Indigenous Council of Roraima and works professionally in the Special Indigenous Health District (DSEI) as a focal point for Mental Health.
Pereira explained to the plenary the types of violence practiced against women, highlighting that they are not limited to physical aggression, but also include psychological, sexual, moral, patrimonial and institutional violence.
After the psychologist's explanation, the women divided into groups and carried out a dynamic to analyze and identify the violence to which they could be subjected. They then made proposals for confronting the violence.
At the end of the exercise, some women reported violence suffered in the villages or outside them. One of the forms of violence reported was the indigenous custom of forced and/or arranged marriages, most often when the woman is still in her teens. The situation was described by some women as something violent and that could result in serious mental illnesses.
To conclude the dynamic, several group participants presented solutions, especially through education and intra-family and village dialogues, as well as lectures with experts on indigenous rights and psychological support available at the Xingu Base Centers.
The topic was first debated at the ATIX-Mulher assembly, but in 2023 it was widely addressed at the 3rd Indigenous Women's March, which even resulted in a manifesto against gender violence, proposed by ANMIGA.
Another form of violence discussed at the meeting was virtual violence, as this environment has created new means of violence against women. With the ease of access to smartphones and the internet, the dissemination of inappropriate images related to indigenous culture has become a major problem in several villages, requiring constant awareness, especially among young people, about the benefits and harms of internet use for the culture of indigenous peoples.
Election of the new coordinator of ATIX-Mulher
On the last day of the assembly, the election of the new executive coordinator of ATIX-Mulher was held. The two candidates nominated were Amairé Kaiabi Suaiá and Alawero Meynako.
In the vote by delegates, divided between women from the East, Middle, Lower and Upper Xingu, there was a tie and the winner was chosen after direct consultation in the plenary. Thus, the new executive coordinator elected was Alawero Meynako, who currently serves as vice-executive coordinator of ATIX-Mulher.
“I would dedicate my life to ATIX-Mulher. I would dedicate my life to each one of you, because we are here because of you. The ones who will give me strength are you, women,” declared the new executive coordinator.
The guidelines and the election results were presented during the ATIX leadership meeting on November 12, which recognized the results of the ATIX-Mulher elections.
The 29th Ordinary General Assembly of ATIX, which was scheduled to take place on this date, was postponed to 2025, due to the death of a leader of the Kawaiwete people, who lived at the location where the assembly was held, in Polo Diauarum.
For the deputy coordinator of the ISA Xingu Program, Ivã Bocchini, the growing participation of indigenous Xingu women in recent years has made their role essential in the social and political decisions of the territory.
“This year, the ATIX Assembly concluded a cycle of two terms of leadership by Watatakalu Yawalapiti and consolidated a space for political articulation and training for Xingu women. With this, they definitively occupy a space for participation in the governance of the Xingu Indigenous Territory with the relevance and legitimacy they deserve,” stated Bocchini. “Currently, it is impossible to think about any policy or project for the territory without listening equally to men and women.”
Results of the last MMTIX management
In the first edition of the Meeting of Women of the Xingu Indigenous Territory, Watatakalu Yawalapiti and Amairé Kaiabi Suaiá were elected as executive coordinator and field coordinator, respectively. In 2021, both were reelected.
During this period, projects such as PPP-ECOS were developed, which aims to generate income with a focus on participatory management, training of producers and the eco-social productive landscape. The villages served were equipped with household utensils for the production and sale of products such as flour, tapioca starch, water hyacinth salt and honey.
In 2020 and 2021, ATIX-Mulher faced the pandemic with emergency actions and fundraising campaigns to purchase food and distribute it in villages isolated because of the disease.
Since 2022, the movement has had the REM (REDD Early Movers) Structural Projects, an initiative of the Brazil-Germany bilateral cooperation with the support of the UK government, which supports actions aimed at reducing deforestation and maintaining the climate.
From 2025, the new executive coordinator of ATIX-Mulher, Alawero Meynako, will be responsible for capturing and conducting projects and actions aimed at strengthening women and sustainability within the territory.
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