She was reflecting on her time at the ROOTS ecofeminist camp in Medellín, Colombia — a space where participants explored the connections between environmental justice and feminism. Like many others, Maricielo Chalco arrived with a deep concern for both people and the planet, but it was through the language and community of the camp that those values began to cohere into a shared framework. Maricielo’s journey into ecofeminism is rooted in her personal and family history. Growing up in Lima, Peru, she maintained a strong connection to her parents' origins in the Peruvian Andes, specifically Casablanca in the Junín region. After migrating to Lima as young adults, her parents settled on the city’s periphery, where they faced significant social and environmental injustices. This upbringing gave Maricielo an early awareness of systemic inequality, fueling her passion for advocacy. Yet for much of her life, feminism and environmentalism remained separate concerns.

Maricielo was first introduced to feminist thought through grassroots efforts to empower migrant women facing violence, particularly Venezuelan young women and girls. It wasn’t until she attended the ROOTS ecofeminist camp that she encountered a space where feminist and environmental values came together. A pivotal concept introduced at the camp was cuerpo-territorio-tierra (body–territory–land), which emphasizes the deep connection between our bodies and the Earth. As Maricielo reflected, “I started thinking of cuerpo-territorio-tierra as one idea—our bodies and our territories are inseparable. The first territory we’re born into is our body, so to care for Mother Earth, we have to start by understanding and caring for ourselves.”This framework resonated deeply with Maricielo, who began to connect it with memories of her maternal grandmother — a Quechua-speaking woman who lived in balance with Pachamama (Mother Earth) through farming and ecological stewardship.

The camp was transformative. Surrounded by women, non-binary, and trans participants, Maricielo felt a renewed sense of warmth, connection, and empowerment. She began to see her identity, her history, and her community through an intersectional ecofeminist lens: “Understanding how gender and nature are connected made me realize how it’s all tied to my story, my background, and my roots.”

Inspired by this experience, Maricielo now works with Ollas Sostenibles, a grassroots initiative that empowers women from marginalized communities on the outskirts of the city—communities much like the one her parents once called home. The project focuses on creating sustainable economic opportunities grounded in ecological care and technological innovation.

“We partner with communities to build new sources of income using innovation, technology, and ancestral methods,” she explained. “We also create sessions where women take the lead in their communities, particularly as leaders of ollas comunes [Spanish for community kitchens where neighbors come together to cook and share meals during times of scarcity]. This is a project created for them and with them—they will be the ones leading it and ensuring its sustainability.”

The Ollas Sostenibles initiative integrates ancestral knowledge — such as traditional ecological practices — into modern sustainable initiatives, including urban community gardens (huertos urbanos comunitarios), water treatment systems, and biodigesters. Unlike state-funded programs, Ollas Sostenibles is built by and for the community. Though it resembles the Western concept of soup kitchens, it stands apart due to its grassroots, autonomous foundation. This initiative is a powerful embodiment of ecofeminism: driven by the community, centered on women, and rooted in ecological principles.

Maricielo is candid about the challenges ecofeminist movements face in Latin America. Patriarchal attitudes, violence, and machismo can render feminist and environmental concerns as “soft” or emotional. There’s often limited visibility and few resources for grassroots ecofeminist work. Still, she sees immense opportunity in the region’s diverse indigenous cosmologies, where ancestral wisdom offers models for living in harmony with the Earth — practices passed down through women in the form of storytelling, art, cultural resistance, and traditional ecological knowledge. This “lived ecofeminism,” she says, is a unique strength of the Latin American context — and a reminder that every region, with its own cultures, histories, and cosmovisions, holds seeds of ecofeminism waiting to be nurtured.

For those seeking to engage with ecofeminism, Maricielo emphasizes education and personal reflection: “Research, read and share; try to connect yourself, and reflect on who’s responsible and who’s affected by the environmental crisis.” She encourages people to find ecofeminist spaces if they exist in their community, or create them if they don’t, and to reconnect with ancestral knowledge that may have been lost. Many, she notes, like herself, are already embodying ecofeminism without realizing it—so it's worth exploring and understanding our own ancestral ties between land, body, and liberation with patience and compassion.

She also invites others to read the Eco-feminist Statement that emerged from the dialogues held during the Latin American Ecofeminist Camp in Colombia, as it reflects the collective voices, visions, and commitments of those building this movement across the region.

For those looking to learn more and take action, the Ecofeminism and Environmental Liberation Toolkit is a valuable starting point. It provides background, principles, and practical tools to explore ecofeminism through an intersectional lens. Maricielo’s story reminds us that ecofeminism is not just theory—it is a living practice rooted in community, ancestry, and action, offering a vision for a more just and sustainable world where the liberation of people and the Earth go hand in hand.

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About the author: 

Cleo Baldoumas

Cleo, an enthusiastic student who recently studied abroad in Morocco, has centered her academic journey on the power of communication. Her research on beetles and fireflies delves into how these creatures use pheromones to communicate, reflecting her fascination with decoding complex signals. Beyond the lab, she bridges linguistic and cultural gaps by translating scientific knowledge, driven by a passion for making information accessible. This dual role as researcher and translator aligns seamlessly with her role at the ReEarth Initiative, where Cleo envisions language as a unifying tool to connect diverse communities and enrich the global understanding of critical issues like climate change.

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