COP31: Chico Mendes' daughter demands protection for women who defend the Amazon

The daughter of environmentalist Chico Mendes, Angela Mendes, demanded protection and recognition for women who work to defend the Amazon during a speech at the 31st United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP31), in Antalya, Turkey, this Wednesday (11).

President of the committee that maintains the Acre leader's legacy, she drew attention to the threats, attacks and violence faced by environmental leaders in the Amazon territories.

"No woman defender should face the threats that come to her alone. We need to connect networks and organizations that provide support. And that support is not just when the threat arrives, but care and that collectively builds the solutions that we need", she said.

In her speech, the Acre representative defended that women be recognized as protagonists in building solutions to the climate crisis and have effective participation in decision-making spaces.

"It is essential to bring this debate, because our leaders are there in the territories, they are there suffering the most varied threats, attacks and violence. This, many times, does not reach the general public's knowledge", he added.

The panel brought together 11 activists from different parts of the world, who shared experiences and discussed the challenges faced by those on the front line defending human and environmental rights. The meeting also reinforced the importance of climate policies.

Angela's participation is part of the Chico Mendes Committee's activities at COP31, in which the organization leads discussions related to the preservation of the Amazon, climate justice and the protection of communities and leaders.

The entity is also represented by the general coordinator, Ana Luisa de Lima. During the conference, representatives monitor activities in the Blue and Green Zones, spaces that concentrate official negotiations, debates, exhibitions and initiatives by organizations and institutions.

In a podcast released by the committee, Angela and Ana Luisa share information about the conference's programming and behind-the-scenes, as well as explaining the importance of spaces for civil society participation.

"My speech is very much in this sense about all the people and especially women who dedicate their lives to protecting forests, rivers, oceans, their territories and their ways of life while they are on the front line of the violence committed by capitalism in search of incessant profits", highlighted Angela.

The presence of the Chico Mendes Committee occurs in parallel with the participation of the official Acre government delegation at the conference. State representatives, including governor Mailza Assis (PP), are in Türkiye to present proposals related to environmental preservation in the region.

According to the Secretary of the Environment, Leonardo Carvalho, among the initiatives discussed are solar energy projects for isolated communities, alternatives for the sustainable exploitation of forest resources and actions aimed at low-carbon agriculture.

"We still have municipalities that use fossil fuel, we even had an incident in Jordão this year, and it ended up creating some disruption, all to keep the city with electricity. Therefore, we took the opportunity to say Acre is ready to receive investments", said Carvalho.

The participation of civil society organizations expands Acre's presence in the international climate debate, also addressing the demands of traditional communities and people who live and work directly in the Amazon territories.

COP31 takes place between November 9th and 20th, 2026. The meeting brings together representatives from different countries, international organizations, researchers and social movements to negotiate measures to combat climate change and strengthen international cooperation.