Women and Traditional Knowledge

Women, with their central role in the household in village societies, have invariably been responsible for the food and nutritional needs of their families, and therefore possess a detailed awareness of the species and ecosystems which surround them. In traditional agriculture, women are involved in almost all aspects of farming, from seed selection and planting, to harvesting, weeding, winnowing and storing grain. They are often the local educators, passing on traditional knowledge and technologies, such as the proverbial "grandmother's cures", which may hold the key to many curative plant uses, and acting as traditional birth attendants in many rural societies, where there is no access to "modern" medical facilities. In many cultures, women have been instrumental in developing and sustaining the techniques and designs for textiles, clothing, and other valuable forms of traditional cultural expression.

The international community is beginning to acknowledge the importance of women's roles in biodiversity management, and to revise their strategies to conserve traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions by facilitating a greater participation by women:

• The Preamble to the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity specifically recognizes the: "...vital role of women in the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity" and affirms "the need for the full participation of women at all levels of policy-making and implementation for biological diversity conservation";
  
• Since 1997, the Women's World Summit Foundation (WWSF) has organized an annual worldwide empowerment and educational campaign, aimed at rural women. In 2001, the theme of this campaign was, "Protect your Traditional Knowledge".

Furthermore, in recent years, significant questions have been raised regarding the relationship of the intellectual property (IP) system to the preservation and promotion of traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions.

As the specialized United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of IP worldwide, WIPO has worked in the field of traditional cultural expressions (folklore) for over thirty years, often in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) , and has, more recently, considered specific IP issues related to traditional knowledge (TK) and genetic resources.

During 1998-1999 WIPO consulted with a wide range of stakeholders, such as indigenous and local communities, non-governmental organizations, governmental representatives, academics, researchers and private sector representatives, to determine the IP needs and expectations of both female and male holders of TK. A comprehensive report of these fact-finding missions is available on this website.

In 2000, the WIPO General Assembly agreed to establish a unique intergovernmental body to discuss IP issues related to traditional knowledge, genetic resources, and traditional cultural expressions (folklore). The Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (the IGC), has since met, in Geneva, four times. The fifth session took place in July 2003. Over 70 Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) observers have been admitted to the IGC as ad hoc observers, including the following NGOs which focus specifically on women's issues, or which have programs which emphasize such issues:

WIPO's work in this area also involves the organization of a wide range of traditional knowledge-related capacity-building activities, such as the co-ordination of local, national and regional seminars, workshops and consultations, and the publication of case-studies and surveys. The following case-studies may offer some particular insights into the relationship between Women, IP and traditional cultural expressions:

Minding Culture: Case Studies on Intellectual Property and Traditional Cultural Expressions

Selected, prepared, researched and written by Ms. Terri Janke, for the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

These are Case Studies of actual instances in which Australian Indigenous persons have sought to use intellectual property rights to protect their traditional cultural expressions. In Case Study No. 1, the so-called "Carpets Case", the tradition-based artwork of Ms. Banduk Marika, an Aboriginal woman, was, without her consent, copied onto carpets by a Vietnamese company, and sold for between $500 and $4000 Australian Dollars each. Ms. Marika successfully used Australian copyright law to sue the Australian company which imported these carpets into Australia for damages and for delivery up of any unsold carpets.

A Study on the Protection of Expressions of Folklore

Written by: Mrs. P.V. Valsala G. Kutty, for the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

This study records national experiences with the protection and promotion of traditional cultural expressions in India, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Association Bouregreg

The Association Bouregreg operates in a variety of social and cultural fields. In 1996, the Association established the International Women's Forum in order to promote the business interests of women, in particular, the development of certain trades and skills related to cultural heritage. Since then, more than 250 women have been trained, for the most part in crafts-related activities, such as Chekba work, weaving and the tea ceremony. Such training has also allowed the Association to meet certain difficulties linked to these heritage-related activities: for example, dispersal, artistic impoverishment, lack of recognition, and the low income generated by such activities (a woman weaving carpets earns the equivalent of 40 Euros per month).

Contact Information:

Tin Hinane

Tin Hinan (literally ‘nomadic woman') is the name of the queen mother; a mythical ancestor and founder of the Tuareg language and culture. Tin Hinan works with nomadic and semi-nomadic Tuareg and Fulani communities in pastoral areas in the north of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. The Tuareg consider women to be the repository of culture, and a guarantor of the unity and honor of the community. Traditionally, community decisions are taken on the basis of consensus or, failing that, the opinion of women prevails. The Association endeavors to maintain and enhance this position by:

• creating areas for meetings, exchanges and sharing experiences, in order to contribute to the development of nomad women, based on their traditional role in Tuareg society;
• aiming to contribute to the broader provision of information and better knowledge of human rights, in relation to all social categories;
• providing real momentum so as to effect change and increase efforts in relation to education for young girls, training and literacy for adult women, and creating the means for existence, as well as a culture of tolerance, democratization of social relations, inter-community dialog and peace; and
• demonstrating a concern with acting and working according to an approach based on solidarity with all those (States, institutions, agencies, organizations, and national and international bodies) which strive to achieve peace, justice and equity with a view to significant social change so as to build viable human societies.

Pauktuutit - Inuit Women's Association

Pauktuutit is the representative organization of Inuit women in Canada. Its primary mandate is to address the range of social and health issues that affect Inuit women, their families and their communities. The Association also addresses equality-related issues, both within Inuit communities and within Canada as a whole. Economic development and the associated needs to protect the traditional, cultural, and intellectual property rights of Inuit women has been a growing priority over the last several years.

Pauktuutit has worked internationally with other indigenous women on issues related to craft commercialization and the protection of traditional knowledge and culture. The Association is a member of the Indigenous Women of the Americas Initiative which has sponsored workshops in Canada and in South and Central America that explore the common intellectual property concerns shared by indigenous women throughout the hemisphere. Additionally, the Association continues to work closely with the Inuit Circumpolar Conference (Canada) on issues of mutual concern and relevance to Inuit women in the circumpolar world.

Currently, the Association is exploring the intellectual property (IP) implications associated with a traditional Inuit women's parka. In May 2001 a workshop was conducted in the Arctic to inform Inuit designers and seamstresses about existing IP laws and about issues being discussed by WIPO and within the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The workshop also took the opportunity to evaluate their IP needs and expectations. The project is intended to serve as a case study for IPR consultations within indigenous communities. The long-term objectives are to seek legal protection for products based on traditional designs, motifs, and knowledge.

Asociación Ixacavaa de Desarrollo e Información Indígena (ASIDII)

The Association for Indigenous Development and Information (ASIDII) ("Ixä ca vaä" means "good land" in the Cabecar language) is composed of indigenous men and women from the following territories or indigenous reservations: Bribrí of Keköldi, Cabecar of Bajo Chirripo and Guaimí of Conte Burica.

The members of the Association are committed to the recovery and defense of their territories and the protection of their woodlands, ecosystems and natural resources of flora and fauna, and the promotion of proper use of those resources and sustainable development with cultural identity.

The Association also maintains that the participation of women is not just a right. Women form part of its world vision of balance and complementarity, and the Association therefore promotes their active participation on equal terms.

Accordingly, the objectives of the Association include the following:

• To promote the strengthening and rebuilding of cultural identity in such a way that women improve their position within our peoples through the defense of indigenous lands and world vision;
• To stimulate the self-respect and empowerment of women and indigenous peoples in general on the basis of cultural identity; and
• To promote the involvement and training of indigenous women in decision-making.

Pachamama Asociación Civil

Pachamama Asociación Civil is a non-profit-making association composed of members who are indigenous by origin. It works to achieve the full exercise of indigenous rights and sexual equality in an environment of sustainable human development.

The Association is currently running a program to encourage the development of indigenous womankind, with an emphasis on the role of women within the family, the community and society in general, and the assertion of her cultural and sexual identity with a view to the full exercise of her social, political, economic and cultural rights. Current projects include:

• "Dialogue on equality workshop: proposal by indigenous women." The aim is to initiate a diagnostic exercise and a plan of action using the voices and aspirations of indigenous women, and to submit it to the National Women's Council of the Argentine State;
• "Permanent workshop for indigenous women." Women must have a common area for interchange and recognition that is available to them at all times so that they may continue their apprenticeship as indigenous leaders. The aim is to set in motion a process of mutual training and continuous debate.

Contact details:
P.O. Box 135 - Branch 48, Federal Capital
Post Code C1016 Z.A.A.
Ave Santa Fé 1394 6th L
E-mail: pachamama@netcentral.zzn.com