Ácora, located at almost 3800 meters above sea level in the southeastern region of Peru, is today one of the most vulnerable regions to **climate change**. Agricultural production and biodiversity are at risk, and **food insecurity** worsens among rural communities.
Women of **Aymara origin**, traditionally responsible for family care and sustenance, face a double threat: environmental degradation and lack of legal rights to land. In response, they have implemented **community adaptation strategies**, combining ancestral knowledge and collective action tools.
## Seed banks: ancestral knowledge and agricultural innovation
Amid **prolonged droughts** and torrential rains, **farmers like Pascuala Pari and Fanny Ninaraqui** promoted the creation of local **seed banks**:
– They preserve over **125 varieties of native crops**, including black, red, and white quinoa.
– They enable **seed exchange** and economic autonomy in local markets.
– They revive the connection with agricultural knowledge passed down through generations.
“Our crops were in danger of extinction, but now people are harvesting again,” stated Ninaraqui, leader of the Ayrumas Carumas Association.
“We are recovering the seeds from our grandmothers’ time,” noted Pari, a reference from the Sumaq Chuyma Association.
## Structural inequality: land, gender, and representation
Beyond the climate crisis, **unequal access to land rights** deepens exclusion. According to the **Sustainable Development Report** of the United Nations Secretary-General, **58% of countries do not guarantee sufficient protection of women’s land rights**.
Experts like Seemin Qayum (UN Women) and Clara Park (FAO) point out that:
– Less than half of women have **secure land rights**.
– Men are **twice as likely to have property titles**.
– **Discriminatory social norms** prevent young women like Ninaraqui from accessing leadership and decision-making opportunities.
*Image source: noticiasambientales.com*
## Political participation and community empowerment
During the **High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development** at the United Nations, the **intersection between gender equality and climate change** was highlighted as one of the main pending agendas.
Organizations like **UNDP** and civil society entities work in Ácora to:
– Strengthen leadership capacities among rural women.
– Promote legal recognition as farmers.
– Ensure autonomous management of agroecological projects.
## Global challenges, local solutions against climate change
The case of Ácora reflects how rural women are **agents of change in the face of the climate crisis**, even when only **18% of the Sustainable Development Goals** are on track to be achieved by 2030.
“When you are recognized as a farmer, you have access to resources, representation, and rights. The doors open,” said Carol Boudreaux, Director of Land Programs at Landesa.
The challenge today is to **establish legal protections that formally recognize women as key players in food security**, conservation, and sustainable development. Meanwhile, they continue to cultivate, teach, and resist.
*Cover photo: UNDP/MINAM/PPD/Nuria Angeles*
