One of the most powerful moments of our kick-off workshop was a session devoted to “Approaching gender relations in our research with the Tsimane’.” Understanding how knowledge, responsibilities, and opportunities are shaped by gender is essential for conducting research that is both rigorous and respectful. In this session, we reflected together on how to meaningfully incorporate a gender lens into our project, from the way we design interviews and participatory activities to the way we interpret knowledge, livelihoods, and environmental change within communities.
The session created a valuable space for dialogue and mentorship. Team members Júlia Orrit, Mireia Alcántara-Rodríguez, and Clara Martínez-Soares had the opportunity to learn directly from Isabel Díaz-Reviriego, Karla Ramírez-Capetillo, and Sandrine Gallois, three scholars who have long worked with Indigenous communities while paying close attention to gender dynamics in both research and practice. Their experiences and insights helped us reflect critically on our own methods and responsibilities as researchers.
These conversations reminded us that integrating a gender perspective is not simply an additional layer of analysis, but a necessary step toward conducting more meaningful and equitable research. Gender relations often shape how people access, use, and care for natural resources, and therefore influence the ways knowledge about nature is generated, shared, and maintained. Recognizing that people of different genders interact with their environments in different ways allows us to better understand the richness and diversity of Indigenous knowledge systems. By acknowledging and valuing these gender-specific contributions, research can help support more inclusive initiatives to maintain and revitalize biocultural knowledge systems, while also contributing to greater equity and social justice.
