Campaigning for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Indigenous peoples have a rich and long history of struggle, and the case study of campaigning for indigenous peoples’ rights examines the work of the Teduray Lambangian Women’s Organisation Inc. (TLWOI), a federation of community-based organizations which is fighting for the rights of indigenous women in Mindanao.

The campaign for indigenous peoples’ rights in the Philippines is both pioneering and long-standing. The Philippines was one of the first countries to adopt a law protecting indigenous peoples’ rights; the country’s highest court recognized their rights over their land more than a century ago. Indigenous peoples’ claims for self-governance and the use of their ancestral lands has been the driving force of their continuing struggle, which has overlapped with other rights-based campaigns on themes such as the environment, participation in governance, gender equality and peace.

This case study summary is one of seven that reflect on civil society monitoring and advocacy initiatives in the Philippines – all of which aim to improve government accountability in different sectors – through the lens of vertical integration.