PROFILE: INNABUYOG-GABRIELA, THE ALLIANCE OF INDIGENOUS WOMEN'S ORGANIZATION IN THE CORDILLERA, PHILIPPINES

Innabuyog is a Kalinga term referring to the traditional practice of helping each other through collective, cooperative work and exchange labor without monetary compensation.

wE are a regional alliance of women's organizations in the Cordillera region, Philippines. Our membership mostly comes from the ranks of grassroots women mainly indigenous peasant women who comprise the majority women population in the Cordillera region. Our other membership are women workers, semi-workers and women from urban poor communities, youth and students, professionals, former overseas workers and lesbians.

INNABUYOG was established in March 8, 1990 with 24 founding organizations of indigenous peasant women, workers, youth and students. It has now grown with 130 member organizations all over the region and continues to evolve as a mass movement of indigenous and democratic groups of women in the Cordillera region.

INNABUYOG was formed:
- to give a collective voice for the marginalized yet struggling women of the Cordillera on the issues of land, rights and self-determination in relation to dominant socio-economic structures and policies in the country, globalization and militarization
- to bring their various efforts together towards a common perspective of liberating women from prevailing concepts of feudal-patriarchy which had tied women to the homes and to traditional roles thus limiting the women's more active participation to the development of their communities
- to collectively act against forces which perpetrate violence against indigenous women and the violation of human rights of women and children,
- to be part in asserting the Cordillera indigenous peoples' right to self-determination, assert indigenous peasant women's right to land and resources to ensure economic prosperity and where their right to land and resources becomes the basis of enjoying economic prosperity and food security of their communities
- to popularize and assert good practices and experiences of indigeneous women in the Cordillera on land, life, rights and self-determination issues to other indigneosu women's organizations, women's groups and peoples' movements.

INNABUYOG believes that women in the Cordillera are a potential force for development in their communities and in the Cordillera region if educated of their conditions as women, organized and mobilized. The prevalent feudal-patriarchal attitudes towards women in the Cordillera prevent women from more active participation and role in the socio-economic and political life of their communities and of the region. Through a process of collective action that INNABUYOG reclaims the indigenous women's historical and significant role in defending ancestral land, life, resources and dignity.

OUR PROGRAMS

Women's Rights Campaign
o a long runing campaign of Innabuyog to address numerous issue faced by indigenous women in the Cordillera for the assertion of Land, Food and Rights
o to document and conduct studies on displacement of indigenous peasant women from their land and food resources because of globalization policies and militarization
o documents and conducts studies on the intensification of hunger and poverty among women in the Cordillera because of lopsided economic policies of their national government favorable to global economic sructures and corporations
o defining concrete expressions of violence agains indigenous women in the Cordillera and relating it to the violation of the collective rights of indigenous peoples, militarizations and state violence
o conducting collective actions of women to highlight the violation fo their rights, bringing these concerns to various arenas of engagement, generating solidarity and concrete gains and support for the women's movement in the Cordillera

Women's Participation in Political Processes
o Building the capacity of indigenous women to engage in various political processes in different levels and in various structures such as indigenous socio-political structures, government and mainstream structures, and in in their own alternative organizations
o Holding of leadership trainings/seminars
o Skills development in organizing, education, advocacy, research, networking, management of resources and campaigns
o Attendance in activities where women leaders develop and exercize their analytical and engagement skills in order to enhance their confidence

Solidarity Work
o Sharing of INNABUYOG'S experiences, analysis and expertize to other women's organizations in differenct levels (local, national, international) espcially on indigenous women and lesbian concerns
o Linkage with women's groups and movements especially those working on rural and indigenous women and which are challenging and posing alternatives to neo-liberal globalization.

CONDUCT OF WORK
o INNABUYOG integrates organizing, research, education and training, mass campaigns and mobilizations in building the women's movement in the Cordillera
o We come out with a quarterly publication, the Innabuyog Newsletter, a news and analysis of current issues, we contribute to other publications, web sites and the media
o We coordinate closely with other sectoral organizations and wider indigenous peoples groups

Key Results and Impact of INNABUYOG
o Development of the indigenous women's movement in the Cordillera and key role in the establishment and dynamism of BAI, a national network of indigenous women's organizations in the Philippines
o Development of leaders in various levels-local, provincial and regional who can also take national and international advocacy work
o Projection of indigenous women's issues in various levels-particular situation of indigenous women and analysis, particular expression of VAW on indigenous women and children
o Development of support groups and advocates networks in the local, regional, national and international levels
o Development of education and training materials
o Delaying or stopping of development aggression projects and militarization
o Success stories on handling of legal cases re Violence Against Women

NETWORKS:
o GABRIELA Philippines, alliance of women in the Philippines
o BAI, national network of indigenous women's organizations in the Philippines
o Asia-Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD), particularly convenor of the Task Force Women and Environment (TF WEN)
o Asian Indigenous Women's Network (AIWN)
o International Network on Women and Mining (RIMM)
o Asia Rural Women's Coalition (ARWC)
o Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA)

Current Members of the Regional Executive Committee:

Vernie Yocogan-Diano, chairperson
Josie Mangili, Vice-Chairperson
Mila Lingabawan-Singson, secretary general
Cristina Torafing, deputy secretary general
Cornelia Ag-agwa, treasurer

Contact Address:

#16 Loro St., Dizon Subdivision, Baguio City 2600, Philippines
Email: innabuyog@gmail.com
Telephone: (063 74) 442 5347
Fax: (063 74) 444 3362