By Maria Cunha
Translated by Luiza Campos

Woman is a protagonist in every era and culture, she carries within her the strength of creation, resistance, and transformation. Whether in daily fights or great social movements, her voice echoes as a cry for equality, freedom, and dignity. Throughout the centuries, women have challenged the structures that sought to silence them. They have gained ground in politics, science, art and many other fields in which they were long underestimated. Today, we celebrate those who paved the way and inspired those who will come. Being a woman is to carry stories of courage and resilience. It is to have the power to transform pain into fight, silence into voice, fear into freedom. But it is also about facing continuous challenges, confronting inequalities and, many times, having to reaffirm rights that should already be guaranteed. The world needs free, safe and respected women. Each achievement by women is not just an individual victory, but a step towards a fairer society for all. 

In this context, we see women who make history in their territories, communities, villages, and many other spaces, but who remain invisible to the eyes of those who view from the outside or, even, to those who are part of the internal processes. The woman of the forest is a protagonist in the preservation of nature and the sustenance of her community. In each cycle of the earth and waters, she carries within herself the strength of creation, resistance and transformation. Whether in sustainable management of natural resources or in the transmission of traditional knowledge, her voice echoes as a cry for respect, balance, and justice. Across generations, the women of the forest have challenged adversities and kept ancient practices alive. They are fishers, farmers, midwives, healers, community leaders and, many of them, pirarucu handlers. 

In Pirarucu management, women have transformed fishing into empowerment. They have been gaining ground and redefining the role of women in this sustainable productive chain. Their work goes beyond this, becoming an example of leadership, resistance, and sustainability. In every space they navigate and with each fish they handle, these women leave a mark of wisdom and hope. Alongside their communities, they not only sustain life in the waters of the forest, but also write a new chapter in the history of their territories and of Amazon, where the strength of women is the true protagonist.

 Photos: Female pirarucu handlers from the São Raimundo community. Credit: Maic Ferreira.

For these women, pirarucu management goes beyond environmental conservation: it is a strategy for economic strengthening and women’s empowerment. The income generated by this activity provides greater financial independence, overcoming the roles that were socially assigned to them, such as being only a mother or a housewife. Additionally, the recognition of the handlers’ work reinforces the importance of gender equity within riverside communities. 

Some voices that have always lived in silence can now assert themselves, speak, and be autonomous in their speech, because by engaging in management, they have become heard and represented more equitably within their communities. They now occupy decision-making spaces, participate in associations, and influence public policies aimed at sustainable development. The experience has also been shared among them across different territories, expanding into a “network of women handlers” who connect through the experiences and realities lived by each one, promoting an exchange of knowledge essential for the future of their community spaces.

An important observation is to look at where many women were a few years ago and how the initiatives of movement that embrace their causes have transformed their lives and experiences, as well as the lives of their families and communities. Tools of female empowerment, enabling women to gain space and redefine the female role in sustainable productive chains, have been remarkable. Within these chains, pirarucu management stands out as one of the key activities driving this empowerment, which goes beyond financial independence, encompasses gender equity, participation in political and community decisions, and leads to what many have called “FREEDOM”. The freedom to manage their own money, make their own decisions, and to look at themselves and feel autonomous in their own daily routine and tasks. The handlers, in addition to conquering deliberative spaces, are now also one of the key players in determining the successful development of any sociobiodiversity production chain. Beyond their hard work, these women still face significant challenges, such as prejudice and resistance from sectors that have yet to recognize their importance.  However, their persistence has led to concrete results: increased family income, improved food security for their families, their empowerment, and the strengthening of riverside communities, which also encompasses the overall development of the territory.

There are many questions that make us think about how a sustainable activity like pirarucu management has brought so much recognition to the women of the forest. It is important to reflect on how difficult it was to face the obstacles and break the paradigms that each woman is as necessary as any existing male workforce. The recognition of themselves as a great potential of their territories and communities was also an obstacle, to see themselves as part of and as a reference within each process. In this journey of struggle, it is worth reflecting that the women handling pirarucu are making involvement happen and are becoming increasingly important for strengthening local culture and experiences.