AIWO-CAN (African Indigenous Women Organization - Cameroon) est une organisation de la société civile issue de l'Organisation des Femmes Autochtones d'Afrique (AIWO), créée en 1998 à Agadir, au Maroc, à la suite de la première Conférence africaine des peuples autochtones.
Créée en 2005 à Nairobi, au Kenya, AIWO-CAN s'inscrit dans cette dynamique panafricaine pour répondre aux défis liés à la marginalisation des peuples autochtones, à la dégradation de l'environnement et aux impacts du changement climatique en Afrique centrale.
L'organisation œuvre pour la promotion et la protection des Droits des peuples autochtones et des communautés locales, avec un accent particulier sur les femmes et les groupes vulnérables. Elle agit dans les domaines des droits humains, des sauvegardes sociales et environnementales, de l'adaptation au changement climatique et de la valorisation des savoirs traditionnels.
Aujourd'hui, AIWO-CAN est un acteur reconnu au Cameroun et dans la sous-région d'Afrique centrale pour son engagement en faveur d'un développement durable, inclusif et respectueux des droits communautaires.
Respect for human rights and social justice lies at the core of AIWO-CAN’s mandate. We promote and defend the rights of Indigenous Peoples—particularly Indigenous women and girls—in accordance with international frameworks such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR). Our work seeks to address inequality, discrimination, and systemic exclusion.
AIWO-CAN embraces a participatory, community-led approach in which Indigenous women are recognized as agents of change, not merely beneficiaries. We ensure inclusive participation in decision-making processes, project design, implementation, and evaluation, fostering local ownership and long-term sustainability.
AIWO-CAN firmly believes that Indigenous knowledge systems are essential to sustainable development, climate resilience, and biodiversity conservation. We actively promote the recognition, protection, and integration of Indigenous traditional knowledge into development practices, environmental governance, and public policies.
AIWO-CAN values strong, respectful, and strategic partnerships based on mutual trust and shared objectives. We work in solidarity with Indigenous community and groups, civil society actors, public institutions, and international partners to co-create solutions and amplify collective impact.
AIWO-CAN acts with a strong sense of responsibility toward Indigenous women, their communities, and its partners. We prioritize results-oriented programming, evidence-based decision-making, and continuous learning to ensure that our actions deliver tangible, measurable, and sustainable impacts.
In Cameroon, AIWO-CAN works through local focal points across the Adamawa, East, West, South, Southwest, Northwest, and Far North Regions.
At the Central African sub-regional level, AIWO-CAN collaborates with Indigenous organisations in Chad, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, and the Republic of Congo.