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Indigenous Women Lead the Way: Celebrating the Courage of the Cholitas Escaladoras
At the opening of Latin America and Caribbean Week at UNESCO, a High-Level Event entitled 鈥Higher Than Fear: The Story of Lita Gonzales and the Cholitas Escaladoras鈥 put in the spotlight Indigenous women and their transformative role in building a more just and sustainable world.
The story of Lita Gonzales and the Cholitas Escaladoras, a group of Aymara women climbers whose courageous journeys up Bolivia鈥檚 snow-capped Andes, has become a symbol of empowerment, identity, and resilience.
Where nature is respected, strength takes root 鈥 and where strength endures, life flourishes.
The story of the Cholitas Escaladoras, indigenous women from Bolivia who climb in traditional dress, challenges gender stereotypes and reclaims cultural heritage and ancestral knowledge. 鈥淭hey dared to imagine a different path, one where they were no longer just supporting others鈥 ascents but leading their own鈥, said the President.
These women are not climbing alone. They represent every girl discouraged from dreaming, every woman rendered invisible, and every community whose stories live in songs, stone carvings, and oral traditions.
UNESCO鈥檚 Policy on Engaging with Indigenous Peoples underscores the centrality of Indigenous knowledge in achieving sustainable development. The contribution of women like Lita Gonzales 鈥 whose understanding of land, ecosystems, and cultural traditions spans generations 鈥 is not merely symbolic. It is vital. Empowering women is not simply a matter of justice. It is a matter of survival 鈥 for our cultures, our languages, our communities, and our planet.
The President concluded with a strong call for UNESCO to continue acting as a platform to uplift and share the stories of Indigenous communities. 鈥淏ecause when women rise 鈥 when Indigenous cultures are honored, when nature is protected 鈥 we all ascend together鈥, underscored the President.
The event also honored H.E. 脫scar Vega Camacho, Permanent Delegate of Bolivia to UNESCO and President of GRULAC, for his leadership in organizing the week鈥檚 celebrations, as well as the panelists and the UNESCO Secretariat for bringing this powerful narrative to the global stage.
