Photo courtesy: Mike Kollöffel
Joan Carling is a renowned Indigenous rights activist, environmental defender, and feminist leader whose voice has consistently shaped global conversations around land, climate justice, and Indigenous self-determination. A member of the Kankanaey tribe in the Cordillera region of the Philippines, Carling has spent over two decades challenging extractive systems of power and amplifying the often-overlooked leadership of Indigenous women across the world.
At the core of Carling’s philosophy is a bold redefinition of leadership—one that breaks away from capitalist and patriarchal norms of recognition and instead centers on values of reciprocity, harmony, and intergenerational responsibility.
“Leadership is not about making noise. It’s showing the way.”
In a world facing ecological collapse and deepening inequality, she argues that it is Indigenous women who offer the most grounded and viable alternatives. Their silent, grassroots leadership is based on care for the land, peaceful conflict resolution, and sustainable management of resources—principles embedded in Indigenous knowledge systems and cultural practices passed down through generations.
Despite their contributions, Carling points out, Indigenous women remain marginalized, their knowledge unrecognized, their roles sidelined even within their own communities.
“Even in many Indigenous governance systems,” she notes, “women are still put on the side lines.”
Yet she firmly believes that the transformation must come from within, led by Indigenous women themselves. To do so, they need access to education, digital tools, and political space. Bridging the digital divide, increasing literacy, and connecting women across communities are among the practical steps she advocates to empower women to claim their rights and reshape their futures.
As the Executive Director of Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI), Carling has been instrumental in advancing collective land rights as central to climate justice. She draws an intrinsic link between protecting Indigenous territories and confronting the environmental crisis. “Without the material base of our territories,” she warns, “everything becomes uncertain.” For Carling, climate solutions that ignore Indigenous rights, such as land grabs under the guise of renewable energy projects or mining for so-called "transition minerals," not only exacerbate injustice but also endanger the very people who are the best stewards of the Earth.
Her advocacy extends to confronting gender-based violence, particularly in militarized zones and protected conservation areas, where Indigenous women face brutal and often invisible abuse. Carling denounces the systemic racism and patriarchy that enable such violations to persist with impunity. Justice, she insists, is not negotiable.
“What agitates me is the lack of justice. Allowing injustice to happen is a disservice to those already marginalized—we have the responsibility to speak out.”
At the Global Land Forum 2025 in Bogota, Colombia, Carling is a driving force behind discussions on just transitions and Indigenous land rights. She values these spaces not just for dialogue, but for action. For her, the ultimate measure of success lies not in high-level declarations but in concrete support for communities: stopping land grabs, holding perpetrators accountable, and strengthening grassroots movements. “Solidarity must be in real terms, in real actions,” she states unequivocally.
To young Indigenous women, her message is clear: embrace your identity, learn your rights, honor your ancestral values, and take your place in the movement. “Be part of the Indigenous women’s movement—but also the broader Indigenous peoples’ movement,” she urges. “That’s how we achieve justice, dignity, and peace—on our terms.”
Joan Carling’s leadership is not only a voice of resistance but a vision for a decolonized, just, and sustainable world, rooted in the wisdom of Indigenous women and communities.