100 Indigenous Women from around the world arrived for the first time at the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York, led by the Assembly of First Nations and visionary Indigenous women leaders from the seven sociocultural regions of the world.

The UN adopted Resolution 2000/22 creating the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), a vital platform for global Indigenous advocacy.

That year also marked ECMIA’s Third Regional Meeting in Panama and the official founding of the International Indigenous Women’s Forum (FIMI) during the CSW session reviewing the Beijing Platform for Action five years after its adoption. FIMI also reached consensus on its logo, designed by Mohawk artist Johanna Lazore of Akwesasne, Canada. The first Steering Committee was also appointed.

Consensus was reached to define the FIMI logo. Designed by artist Johanna Lazore, a member of the Mohawk Nation of Akwesasne, Canada.

And the members of the first Steering Committee were appointed.

In 2004, the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) urged the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) to give priority to the concerns of Indigenous Women. This call marked a turning point for their inclusion in international human rights frameworks.

For the first time in the history of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), a specific resolution on Indigenous Women was adopted:

Resolution 49/7: “Indigenous women: beyond the 10-year review of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.”This is the first-ever resolution on Indigenous Women at the CSW. It highlights their rights and specific needs, including poverty and violence, and is considered a major achievement resulting from the advocacy of Indigenous Women.

At the United Nations headquarters in New York, a meeting led by Indigenous Women and promoted by FIMI was held.

Representatives from the Americas, Asia, Africa, the Pacific, and the Arctic attended.The international human rights organization MADRE, under the leadership of Vivian Stromberg, became a welcoming home for Indigenous Women in New York. This support translated into both financial and human resources that laid the foundation for FIMI.

FIMI developed its first Strategic Plan for the 2008–2011 period.

With the support of MADRE, contributions were secured from five donors — Oxfam Novib, Hivos, Global Fund for Women, and UNIFEM — to create the Indigenous Women’s Fund and the Political Participation Program.

In the following years, more strategic allies joined, committed to investing in our processes.

The Indigenous Women’s Fund (Ayni Fund) was created—a transformative program that mobilizes co-investment resources at the human, financial, spiritual, and material levels to support Indigenous Women’s organizations in capacity building and implementing economic, environmental, and social projects that promote sustainable change in their communities.

That same year, the Political Participation Program was launched, significantly strengthening Indigenous Women’s ability to influence decision-making at all levels.

FIMI and ECMIA engaged in advocacy efforts with the Indigenous Fund (FILAC) and the Intercultural Indigenous University to create the MILAC Indigenous Women’s Flagship Program and the Diploma Program for Indigenous Women.

The Ayni Indigenous Women’s Fund launched its first call for proposals through the Seeds Program, focused on strengthening Indigenous Women’s organizational and institutional capacities.

"Ayni" is a Quechua/Kichwa word that means reciprocity, equality, and justice from the Indigenous worldview.

FIMI took a key step by creating and officially registering its first Board of Directors. This institutional milestone formalized its governance, ensured the global representation of Indigenous Women, and strengthened its international advocacy.

We developed our second Strategic Plan (2011–2015) with the aim of providing comprehensive support and responses to the challenges faced by Indigenous Women around the world.

From 2011 to 2015, FIMI received contributions from IFAD-IPAF, Ford Foundation, UNIFEM (now UN Women), Channel Foundation, Christensen Fund, Global Fund for Women, SWIFT Foundation, Tamalpais, MDG Fund, Mama Cash, and several individual donors.

In that same year, FIMI launched its Research and Knowledge-Sharing Program, aimed at generating knowledge rooted in the perspectives and traditional wisdom of Indigenous Women. This initiative brought visibility to their realities, priorities, and unique contributions, further strengthening their role in shaping global narratives.

We collectively designed the Intercultural Research Manual: Dialogue of Knowledge on Violence against Indigenous Women.

The Global Conference of Indigenous Women was organized in conjunction with the regional networks of Indigenous Women and FIMI, held in Lima, Peru.

FIMI established the “Leadership Award,” awarded to committed and responsible Indigenous Women who have achieved significant collective achievements.

Thanks to the partnership with Columbia University, the commitment of Dr. Elsa Stamatopoulou, and the Secretariat of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the Global Leadership School has grown over the years.

The Ayni Fund was strengthened as part of the Prospera International Network of Women’s Funds.

During this period, the “Leading from the South” consortium was established, composed of Fondo Mujeres del Sur, the Asian Women’s Fund, the International Indigenous Women’s Forum (FIMI), and the African Women’s Development Fund, supported by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Many of our donors continue to support us, and new partners have joined us, such as: Wellspring Philanthropic Fund, Foundation for a Just Society, OAK Foundation, and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Women Win, Equality Fund, Chane Foundation, and Prosperal.

FIMI joined the consortium to implement the Leading from the South (LDS) Program, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to enhance the leadership and capacity building of civil society organizations in the Global South.

In parallel, FIMI established its Financial Administration area, which enabled the organization to directly manage its own resources, becoming independent from the fiscal sponsorship provided by MADRE Association since its inception.

The second Board of Directors was also elected, with Tarcila Rivera serving as its President.

FIMI established its Institutional Communications area.

In 2017, FIMI commemorated the 10th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples (UNDRIP) by organizing and facilitating the participation of Indigenous Women in the 16th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII). FIMI also organized a coordination meeting to strengthen leadership, organization, and networking capacities.

In 2019, we held an Expert Meeting in New York on the rights of Indigenous Girls and Women. The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues recommended that CEDAW develop a General Recommendation specific to Indigenous Girls and Women.

FIMI supported regional gatherings in Asia and Africa addressing these rights.

FIMI celebrated 20 years of collective journey and published its anniversary book.

FIMI conducted regional studies on the situation of Indigenous women, which led to the publication of the Global Study on the Situation of Indigenous Women and Girls. The study highlights 25 years of progress, challenges, and ongoing struggles for the rights of Indigenous women.

In 2020, FIMI responded to the Covid-19 crisis with emergency funding.

January 2020, Regional Meeting of the Americas, the RG39 proposal was disseminated and discussed.

The 2nd Global Indigenous Women’s Conference was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It gathered 969 participants: 15% registered as observers and 85% were Indigenous women. Morning sessions included Africa, the Arctic, and the Americas (616 people); evening sessions included Asia and the Pacific (345 people). 65% of participants were aged 30–60, and 23% were 19–29.

The CEDAW Committee adopted General Recommendation No. 39 (GR39)—a historic achievement that recognizes and addresses the unique rights, challenges, and contributions of Indigenous women and girls. It marks an unprecedented advancement in global efforts to guarantee their individual and collective rights.

FIMI supported the consultations led by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), both in-person in Mexico and virtually in other regions.

FIMI, MADRE, and The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), through the UN Voluntary Fund for Indigenous Peoples and the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, co-organized a strategic dialogue in Geneva with a global delegation of Indigenous Women to engage with the 82nd session of the CEDAW Committee.

In 2023, FIMI was formally admitted as an "observer organization" at the COP.

We launched our Indigenous Women Researchers’ Meeting in Panama, centered on the theme “Guardians of Ancestral Knowledge.”

To strengthen internal management, we implemented new manuals, policies, and internal guides that integrate human resource management holistically.

FIMI obtained special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).

We celebrated 10 years of impact with the Global Leadership School (GLS), which has trained 249 Indigenous Women worldwide to become transformative leaders.