AGROSAVIA strengthens the leadership of pastoralist women within the framework of IYRP2026

• A Wayuu woman will participate in the Global Gathering of Women Pastoralists (MERA +16) in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Agustín Codazzi, Cesar. May 21, 2026. Within the framework of IYRP2026 (International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists) and international actions aimed at recognizing the role of rural women in agriculture, pastoralism, and the conservation of traditional food systems, Corporción colombiana de investigación agropecuaria (AGROSAVIA) continues to strengthen participation processes, knowledge management, and the visibility of female leadership linked to sheep and goat production systems in the Colombian Caribbean region.

These actions are aligned with international initiatives such as the Merida Declaration of Pastoralist Women and the global gathering of women pastoralists held in Nepal, organized by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and co-organized by the Pastoralism and Gender Working Group (IYRP WGPG), in collaboration with RECONCILE, Women in Ranching, Anthra, Mujeres Ganaderas de México (MUGAM), and other organizations. These spaces have highlighted the fundamental role of women in preserving ancestral knowledge and in environmental sustainability, food security, and the resilience of rural pastoralist communities.

The Global Gathering of Women Pastoralists (MERA +16), to be held from May 26 to 29, 2026, in Nepal, recognizes and supports these initiatives, strengthens solidarity among regions, and amplifies women’s voices in international discussions on rangelands and pastoralism. Its purpose is to ensure that the voices and perspectives of women pastoralists are included in all decisions affecting them, from the local to the global level.

The territorial leadership of rural, Indigenous, and pastoralist women positions La Guajira, Colombia, on international platforms for pastoralism and knowledge management

In this context, the participation of Mayra Alejandra Quintero Brito stands out. She is a rural leader from the municipality of Barrancas, La Guajira, and a member of the Caribbean Rural Women’s Network established in 2024. She has consolidated an exemplary community-based process focused on organizational strengthening, sheep and goat production, preservation of Wayuu culture, and the empowerment of rural and Indigenous women.

Mayra was born in Fonseca, La Guajira, and since childhood, she has been involved in goat and sheep herding in the village of Palmarito, where she inherited ancestral knowledge associated with the Wayuu people and the traditional management of livestock from her grandmother. Her life story has been marked by displacement processes linked to both mining activities and the armed conflict, experiences that have strengthened her commitment to the territory, community organization, and the defense of rural livelihoods.

Through the ASODEPAB Association (Association for Development and Peace of La Guajira), Mayra has led initiatives aimed at strengthening the productive and organizational capacities of rural communities and victims of the armed conflict, promoting projects focused on goat meat processing, strengthening Wayuu handicrafts, and increasing the participation of rural women in training and territorial development processes.

Thanks to her community leadership, active participation in rural training processes, and commitment to strengthening the sheep and goat value chain, Mayra has participated in national events such as Agro Expo Futuro, the Green Festival of Barichara, the Petronio Álvarez Festival, COP16, and dialogue spaces focused on biodiversity, innovation, and ancestral knowledge.

Support from AGROSAVIA and Pastoraméricas

This process has been supported technically and personally by Clara Viviana Rúa, researcher at AGROSAVIA’s Motilonia Research Center, who, for more than a decade, has carried out research, knowledge transfer, and participatory work processes with Wayuu pastoralist communities in La Guajira. Her experience in tropical sheep and goat production systems, conservation of animal genetic resources, and strengthening rural capacities has enabled the consolidation of spaces of articulation among science, territory, and ancestral knowledge.

Likewise, Clara Viviana Rúa actively participates in the Pastoraméricas network, where, together with other Latin American women experts in pastoralism and rural research, she has supported and guided Mayra and six other Latin American women throughout the application process to participate in international pastoralist women’s forums.

Mayra’s participation in the international gathering of women pastoralists in Nepal will be made possible thanks to the support of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), which will finance her travel from Barrancas, La Guajira, to Kathmandu, Nepal. This will help showcase Wayuu pastoralism internationally, the traditional sheep and goat systems of the Colombian Caribbean, and the role of Indigenous and rural women in territorial sustainability. It will also highlight the farmer-to-farmer extension strategy for sustainable sheep and goat production developed by AGROSAVIA’s research team, which was implemented through a field day conducted in her Indigenous territory.

The experience of Mayra Alejandra Quintero Brito represents the strategic role of rural and pastoralist women in preserving traditional production systems, transmitting ancestral knowledge, and building sustainable territorial development models in tropical lowland regions.

Through initiatives such as these, AGROSAVIA reaffirms its commitment to the inclusion of rural women in agricultural innovation processes, the conservation of agrobiodiversity, and the strengthening of resilient production systems adapted to the conditions of the Colombian Caribbean region.