Advancing Representation: Amplifying Women and 2SLGBTQIA+ Voices in the Spotlight
In the heart of the Amazon, a vibrant collective of Indigenous youth is making waves in the fight for gender justice. Coletivo Miriã Mahsã, a 2SLGBTQ+ group based in the state of Amazonas, Brazil, is composed of approximately 30 young individuals from various Peoples, including Tukano, Sateré Mawé, Munduruku, Dessana, Tikuna, Baré, and more.
Formed as a response to the social vulnerability faced by Indigenous 2SLGBTQ+ youth due to discrimination and violations, Coletivo Miriã Mahsã has been at the forefront of advocacy, leadership, and community-based projects. Most of the members identify as Trans and non-binary.
One of the collective's most significant projects is the Kiraparamia Project, a short stop-motion animation film by Irati Dojura Landa Yagarí, an Embera Chamí from Antioquia, Colombia, who holds a degree in Audiovisual and Multimedia Communication. The film, titled Akababuru: Expresión de Asombro (Akababuru: Expression of Astonishment), revisits a traditional myth from a feminine perspective and aims to bring visibility to local artists and members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
The Kiraparamia Project also involved local Indigenous youth from Karmat Rúa and the local trans women art collective Werapa, promoting a debate about gender and contributing to the revitalization of the traditional language. The final result of the project is set to be released to the public in 2025.
In addition to the Kiraparamia Project, Coletivo Miriã Mahsã has organized a series of events to promote the rights of Indigenous 2SLGBTQ+ youth. One such event was the first Indigenous ballroom event of the Amazon, which revived the ballroom culture originating in New York in the 1970s, incorporating elements and colours of local Indigenous and Amazonian tradition. The event, dubbed the "Ballroom of Ancestral Spirits," had a significant media circulation and attracted over 100 people.
Beyond the Amazon, Indigenous Youth Fellows are making significant impacts globally. For instance, the Indigenous Justice Circle supports Two-Spirit Indigenous young leaders who focus on gender-expansive work. River Webb (Nez Perce/Sac and Fox) educates communities about the traditional and important roles of Two-Spirit people, countering colonial erasure and current anti-2SLGBTQ+ movements.
Similarly, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) funds Indigenous-led teams through their Indigenous Gender and Wellness Initiative. This includes the Indigenous Healthy Life Trajectories Initiative (I-HeLTI) that supports research and community projects aiming to improve wellness from a gendered perspective in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities.
These examples underscore how Indigenous Youth Fellows and similar changemakers are shaping gender justice by blending traditional knowledge, technology, health research, and grassroots activism, yielding transformative social, cultural, and policy impacts across Indigenous and global contexts.
Other notable youth changemakers working on intersecting gender issues include Stacy Dina Adhiambo Owino from Kenya, who developed a mobile app called iCut to help girls report potential female genital mutilation (FGM) cases and access rescue resources, and Grace Nshobole Maroy, a women's rights activist and social entrepreneur, who leads initiatives like ShambaLetu that empower rural women farmers by training them to produce eco-friendly briquettes from agricultural waste and promoting sustainable energy.
Irati Dojura Landa Yagarí, the mastermind behind the Kiraparamia Project, has earned awards and national recognition for her artistic projects. Her work serves as an inspiration to Indigenous youth across the globe, demonstrating the power of art, advocacy, and community-based projects in shaping a more inclusive and equitable future for all.
- The Kiraparamia Project, a significant community-based project by Coletivo Miriã Mahsã, is a stop-motion animation film focusing on sexual-health, women's-health, and diversity-and-inclusion, revitalizing traditional myths from a feminine perspective.
- In terms of lifestyle and fashion-and-beauty, the "Ballroom of Ancestral Spirits" event organized by Coletivo Miriã Mahsã, combined traditional Amazonian culture with New York's ballroom culture, creating a unique blend of art, culture, and gender-justice.
- In the realm of health-and-wellness and gender-justice, the Indigenous Healthy Life Trajectories Initiative (I-HeLTI), funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), focuses on improving wellness from a gendered perspective in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities.
- Stacy Dina Adhiambo Owino, a notable youth changemaker from Kenya, is using technology and grassroots activism to combat female genital mutilation (FGM) and promote health-and-wellness, through her mobile app iCut and other women's-rights initiatives.
