Women’s Resistance Against Extractivism in the Ecuadorian Amazon: A Decolonial Ecofeminist Study of the Collective Mujeres Amazónicas

Abstract: In response to the substantial expansion of the extractive frontier in the Ecuadorian Amazon, indigenous women have positioned themselves at the forefront of the struggle. In this context, the grassroots collective Mujeres Amazónicas has become a crucial political actor in the defense of indigenous territories and the multiple forms of life inside the rainforest, using numerous resistance dynamics and practices in private and public spheres. Therefore, this thesis analyzes the principal narratives (in reference to experiences, self-representations, and political consolidation) that have shaped the Amazonian Women’s anti-extractive struggle. To this end, a decolonial ecofeminist framework has been created to guide the detailed examination of eighteen sources through thematic analysis. The material was selected from the collective’s public declarations, political statements, interviews, and documentaries from 2013 to 2022. By implementing both deductive and inductive approaches, six key themes were identified: 1) systemic violence and domination; 2) cosmovision and knowledge production; 3) resistance and re-existence; 4) reproduction; 5) body-territory; and 6) climate change. These themes demonstrated the interconnection and complexity of Amazonian Women’s resistance narratives. In addition, they provided a thorough understanding of how the collective organizes to confront the different forms of oppression and gender-based violence indigenous women suffer on multiple levels.