COMO MUJERES INDIGENUS NO PODEMOS DEJAR DE PENSAR EN EL MAÑANA

As Indigenous women we can’t stay without thinking what can happen in the future!

Ngäbe Women’s Convention on Abuse

On Saturday, October 14^th, 2023, Ngäbe Social Tidbits was able to attend the Ngäbe women’s Ngäbe-Bugle Comarca Convention on Abuse. Saturday was the day for the women from Veraguas to vote. And, when the voting was completed, there were 700 votes tabulated for their choice of spokesperson for their region of the Comarca.

Ngäbe Social Tidbits was there and able to report on the happenings 

Amazingly, the total number of Ngäbe women who attended the Ngäbe Women’s Convention on Abuse was 2000! And, the convention lasted three days. The organization started because a Ngäbe man had attempted to kill his wife (she lived), murdered their four children, and then hung himself.

This event shocked and upset the Ngäbe community, and the women decided to join together to address any further problems of abuse. They hope to obtain some government help also.

The name of the organization is coordinadora de mujeres Ngäbe y campesinas de la Comarca Ngäbe Buglé or “COORDINATOR OF NGÄBE WOMEN AND PEASANT OF THE NGÄBE BUGLE REGION.”

I wasn’t sure of the meaning of some of these words and a Ngäbe explained “Campesinas refers to those women that are not Ngäbes, they are latin women whose families live there long time ago, before the Ngäbe Bugle region was created.”

Voting for provincial leader

When I arrived, the lines of women waiting to vote extended from three to four lines deep, out of the building and up the hill to the road at Cerro Puerco. In addition, there was a time limit, so I don’t know if every woman got to vote.

The women were meeting to choose who their regional leaders would be. They already had a President or coordinator for the organization, Mariana Montezuma from Soloy.

The women from Chiriquí, Bocas Del Toro, and Veraguas provinces needed to choose a regional spokesperson.

Women’s group to vote convened at Cerro Puerco

Per Ngäbe Social Tidbits,the meeting was held in the village of Cerro Puerco at the high school auditorium. People arrived in numerous Ngäbe taxis (trucks with covered canopies on the backs of the trucks).

The women and some men traveled the Pan American highway by bus and came from up in the Comarca villages to attend this important event.

As you can imagine, many people tumbled out of the trucks. Significantly, the Ngäbe women came to vote and make their voices heard.

The women were excited to be part of this organization to help the Ngäbes address problems of domestic abuse.

And a side note, there were many men attending also who had accompanied the women. They waited on the sidelines while the women patiently stood in line.

Interestingly, the children were well behaved, no shouting or causing a raucous.

I enjoyed seeing the different naguas, some printed or flowery material with their native patterns as usual with the triangular designs. 

Ngäbe Women from Veraguas lined up to vote

Sign talking about stopping violence and abuse

Organizers of the Ngäbe women’s convention

 Wares that the Ngabe women are selling to fund their organization.

Click and check out the Ngäbe Nagua Fashion Show 2024- next page!