Le Besoin de Soutien en Santé Mentale pour les Défenseurs de l'Environnement aux Philippines

Background

Protestors calling for protection for environmental defenders in the Philippines(Photo courtesy of Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE))

According to the latest Global Climate Risk Index report by Germanwatch published in 2021, the Philippines is one of the top five countries most vulnerable to climate change.[1] The country faces at least twenty typhoons per year (with an average of five typhoons becoming supertyphoons) that cause immense flooding, devastation of communities, livelihood, cultural heritage, and displacements of thousands of families. Such vulnerability may be one of the reasons for strong Filipino activism against environmental degradation and climate change.[2] However, being involved in environmental and climate activism can be a dangerous experience in the country.[3] Environmental defenders and climate activists are usual targets of red-tagging or being labeled or accused as part of underground communists and insurgencies.[3] Moreover, the Philippines is one of the deadliest places in the world and the deadliest in Asia for environmental defenders and climate activists.[4] Between 2012 and 2021, at least 270 environmental defenders were murdered in the country. In 2022 alone, 11 environmental defenders were killed; 80% of the total killings were linked to protests against corporations while a third were connected to resistance to mining activities.[5]

The Plight of Women, the Youth, and Indigenous Environmental Defenders

All environmental defenders face several consequences to their lives and psychological health due to the nature of their work and the threats associated with protecting the country’s natural environment. However, some specific groups of climate activists and environmental defenders - women, the youth, and Indigenous populations - experience more frequent intimidations, surveillance, violence, and life threats. Women in general disproportionately face the many consequences of climate change (e.g. economic problems, increased violence, etc.).[6] Women environmental defenders are especially vulnerable to the dangers and threats emanating from the commercial and political drivers of environmental exploitation. Globally, women environmental defenders who bravely fight against powerful figures often become easy targets of surveillance, intimidation, gender-based and sexual violence, criminalization, targetting and assassinations,[7] which have dire consequences for their psychological health.[3] Women environmental defenders are considered a minority due to their small number and therefore often remain voiceless.[8] In Asia, only a small percentage of environmental defenders are women[9] because environmental defense is traditionally viewed as a “man’s job” due to its dangers. Environmental Justice Atlas documented at least 3,330 cases of violence against women environmental defenders globally[8] and the Philippines is one of the violence hotspots.[3]