In Kichwa, an indigenous language spoken in parts of Ecuador, Pachamama (“Mother Earth”) is a unique word that represents the harmonious bond between nature and the indigenous community. This living bond promises that people will protect the water, land, air, mountains and animals. In other words, the people will faithfully protect their homeland.

For years, the indigenous communities followed their own scientific methods to confront what they had already predicted, the climate crisis. They focused on nature-based observations to save their natural resources from environmental pollution.

This valuable information has been passed from generation to generation, thanks to those who maintain the harmonious bond between humans and nature—the women of the community.

The exact number of indigenous women in Ecuador is not known. But in the last few years, their power has been amplified. The way in which social justice issues in Ecuador have been confronted has opened a wider path for more women and girls to move through their lives with support and solidarity.

Warmi STEM is an example of this. We are an organization that champions and supports young indigenous women to have careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). We are from different regions of Ecuador and belong to different indigenous communities.

We value diversity and support each woman’s potential, something that is often underestimated. Our objective is to show students in rural communities the possibilities that arise with a career in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).

Members of the organization demonstrate to young students the various STEM-based methods that they are using to combat climate change. Physics, for example, a branch of science that combines mathematical calculations with theoretical concepts, is a school subject that intimidates many students.

Warmi STEM members Jéssica Ñauñay and Isabel Balvoa, both physicists, make it fun for students by showing how physics is used to create climate models, computer simulations that can predict future climate patterns.

Toa Quindi, an environmental engineer with Warmi STEM, is the person to talk to about creating cutting-edge processes to mitigate climate change. Agriculture is one of the industries that contributes the most to climate change. Fortunately, Warmi STEM has a great agricultural engineer, Tamia Gualán, who demonstrates that Ecuador can carry out large-scale farming that is also organic and sustainable.

The most valuable thing our organization is teaching students is that a background as both indigenous women and as STEM professionals gives us a unique advantage in combating climate change.

Our members are literally “on the ground” and our work is informed by many of our communities’ attributes: the generational experience of our elders, the relational dynamic of living off the land, the everyday practices of indigenous life.

Our indigenous knowledge informs us of how to treat the plants, soil, water, insects and animals, and this means our STEM backgrounds are informed by real-world, real-time experience.

Our need to understand and mitigate climate change runs deep because it isn’t a theoretical concept.

I could go on listing how STEM careers and our indigenous knowledge help mitigate the effects of climate change, but I also want to mention the value of educators.

Lizeth Burga is a great contributor to Warmi STEM and is able to get kids in her classes to care for the environment. This in turn has helped Warmi STEM learn how to hold accessible workshops on STEM in rural communities.

I firmly believe that indigenous women are well armed to face climate change with the knowledge inherited from their grandparents plus the preparation and experience in STEM careers. I long to see more indigenous women with STEM careers in high-ranking and decision making positions. These are the women with the will to change things.

Finally, I want to state that our group, Warmi STEM, is an unusual and unique combination of women that shows diversity and power. Our members have a very deep desire to help women and girls be unstoppable.

The path we are forging serves to demonstrate that our knowledge is immeasurable and should not be underestimated. As indigenous women in STEM careers, we have the capacity and knowledge to resolve many issues, from social justice to climate change.

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