Dora Machicao

A Bolivian Indigenous leader advancing women’s rights and environmental justice through legal reforms and grassroots organizing.

Dora Machicao is an Aymara Indigenous leader from Bolivia, renowned for her role in shaping national policies on Indigenous land rights and women’s empowerment. As the former president of the National Council of Ayllu Women of the Qullasuyu (CONAMAQ), she spearheaded the inclusion of Indigenous rights in Bolivia’s 2009 Constitution. Her advocacy led to landmark laws like the 'Law of the Rights of Mother Earth,' recognizing nature as a rights-bearing entity. Machicao’s work intersects environmental justice and gender equality, addressing how extractive industries disproportionately harm Indigenous women. She co-founded 'The Indigenous Women’s Network of the Andes' to strengthen cross-border solidarity. During Evo Morales’ presidency, she advised on Indigenous affairs, ensuring policies respected traditional knowledge. Machicao’s 2017 report 'Voices from the Andes: Women and Environmental Sustainability' influenced UN discussions on climate change. Despite facing backlash from mining interests, she continues mobilizing communities against water privatization and deforestation. Her leadership was pivotal in the 2018 protests that halted a highway project threatening Indigenous territories. Machicao’s legacy includes training young activists through 'CONAMAQ’s Leadership School', ensuring her vision endures. Her efforts have been recognized by international bodies like 'Greenpeace', cementing her as a global icon of Indigenous resilience.