Rural Women Lead Global Resistance Against Corporate Deforestation
In a powerful display of strength and determination, rural women around the world have taken the lead in the fight against corporate deforestation. From the Akbelen forest in Turkey to northern India to Brazil, these women are standing up against the power of the corporate chainsaw, risking their lives to protect the precious trees and fragile ecosystems that sustain our planet.
One such battleground is Akbelen, a woodland in Turkey’s Muğla province that serves as a natural habitat for a diverse range of flora and fauna. However, YK Energy, a private energy company, has been relentless in its pursuit of expanding an open-pit lignite mine in the area to supply a thermal power plant. Lignite, also known as brown coal, emits more CO2 compared to its black coal counterpart, making it extremely harmful to the environment. Despite years of resistance from villagers and environmental activists, the company pressed on with its plans.
When chainsaw teams arrived to cut down trees in Akbelen this summer, local villagers and supporters reached their breaking point. Gendarmerie forces responded with a heavy hand, using armored vehicles, water cannons, and tear gas against the protesters. At least 40 individuals were arrested, and the forest suffered significant losses, with estimates suggesting that over 65,000 trees, comprising 60% of the forest, were destroyed.
While authorities claim they will plant 130,000 saplings to compensate for the destruction, past experiences reveal that such efforts often fall short. In Turkey, a rushed government-led planting initiative in 2020 saw over 90% of the saplings die. The lack of transparency in these projects calls into question their effectiveness in truly restoring what was lost.
Despite the challenges, the resistance movement in Akbelen has garnered widespread support, particularly from Turkish society at large. Leading the charge are local villagers, especially the village women, who have become unexpected heroes in this struggle. These women, typically traditional matriarchs, have been thrust into the public eye as they fiercely protect the trees and fight for the future of their children and grandchildren. Their devotion and bravery have inspired many, as videos of them hugging and kissing trees circulate on Turkish social media platforms.
The efforts in Akbelen reflect a broader global trend where women are at the forefront of the fight against deforestation. Women like Amrita Devi from Rajasthan’s Bishnoi community in India, who led a resistance movement in the 1730s to protect khejri trees, and the Chipko movement in Uttarakhand, where rural women acted as the vanguards of nonviolent protests in the 1970s, have paved the way for the women of Akbelen.
Beyond Turkey and India, women all over the world are taking a stand against deforestation. In Uganda, local women are leading movements to combat rampant deforestation caused by commercial logging and charcoal burning. In Ecuador, women are at the heart of collective efforts to save mangrove forests. Indonesian women fiercely oppose the destruction of habitats by mining companies and plantations for pulp and paper, with Aleta Baun, an indigenous campaigner, organizing protests alongside 150 other women.
In Brazil, the babassu nut breakers movement initiated by women aims to reduce the damage caused by deforestation and empower communities. Meanwhile, the late Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai from Kenya, who founded the Green Belt Movement, recognized the intrinsic link between the protection of trees, the fight against poverty, and the pursuit of equality.
These traditional matriarchs are not alone in their fight. Young climate activists like Leah Namugerwa in Uganda and Fatou Jeng in the Gambia are picking up the baton, launching tree-planting campaigns to combat climate change. Other innovative projects, like Senegal’s For every newborn, one tree initiative, seek to reforest while forging a personal connection between individuals and nature.
However, the battle against deforestation remains an uphill struggle. Women who champion environmental causes often face violence and brutality for their efforts. Between 2016 and 2019, close to 1,700 acts of violence were recorded against women human rights defenders in Central America and Mexico, and Honduras lost the iconic environmental activist Berta Cáceres to murder. These women are confronting not only technical but also political issues related to life, sovereignty, and community self-determination.
Women bear a greater burden during times of environmental catastrophe, as they are the backbone of communities, carrying water, memories, and stories. From student activists in urban centers to traditional matriarchs in rural areas, women are increasingly driving the fight against the climate crisis and the protection of land and water. They confront inequality, injustice, and violence, yet they hold the key to solidarity, resistance, and hope.
The tireless efforts of these courageous women send a powerful message to the world. As the climate crisis escalates and ecosystems face relentless assault from profit-driven corporations and authoritarian regimes, it is the voices and actions of rural women that are leading the charge for change. Their resistance is not only a fight for trees but a fight for a just and sustainable future for generations to come.
