“We are called to assist the earth to heal her wounds and, in the process, heal our own — indeed, to embrace the whole creation in all its diversity, beauty and wonder. This will happen if we see the need to revive our sense of belonging to a larger family of life, with which we have shared our evolutionary process.” Wangari Maathai
In celebration of the International Day of Forests (21 March), WoMin is proud to launch the photobook In the Embrace of the Earth | Dans l’étreinte de la Terre. In this inaugural edition, it celebrates forest communities in the Congo rainforest, which covers 300 million hectares across six different countries.
The forest is home to many forms of life, including endangered species, and it’s essential to stabilise global temperatures and slow the effects of climate change but it’s threatened by mining, logging and other forms of extractivism.
In the heart of Africa’s biggest rainforest, Baka women, the guardians of the forest, are leading the resistance against the destruction of nature caused by the extractive development model, by sustaining communal forms of ownership and production, preserving intergenerational knowledge and deep communal care. As they defend their rights and the environment, they also present an alternative to extractivism, based on sustainable management of natural resources and protection of the Commons.
WoMin and Green Development Advocates (GDA) produced a photobook documenting the daily lives of Baka communities in the Djoum region of Cameroon, travelling to Assoumdele, Akom, Zoulabot and Odoumou villages. Designed by Cameroonian artist Ethel Tawe, these powerful images showcase the strength and resilience of Baka women, who work tirelessly to protect the forest.
This photobook is part of WoMin’s commitment to advancing African ecofeminist development alternatives rooted in the experiences and the knowledge of African women, who stand at the forefront of a movement towards a just future for all forms of life.
As part of this launch, WoMin and Green Development Advocates will host a webinar on Thursday, 19 March, 2026, to hear more about Baka women and the Congo rainforest. Find out more.
Download In the Embrace of the Earth | Dans l’étreinte de la Terre :
