FAW and Size of Wales unite with indigenous women to protect forests and inspire Wales

In a powerful act of solidarity and global responsibility, Size of Wales and the Football Association of Wales (FAW) have united to support Indigenous women defenders of the world’s tropical forests—coinciding with the Cymru Women’s National Team’s preparations for UEFA Women’s Euro 2025.

On Sunday 22 June, Size of Wales presented handmade bracelets crafted by Indigenous women from the Wampís Nation in the Peruvian Amazonto Rhian Wilkinson, Head Coach of the Cymru Women’s Team.

These bracelets, made using sacred Amazonian seeds, symbolise life, protection, and wellbeing. They carry deep spiritual significance and are offered as a heartfelt gesture of good luck to the team—and as a bond of solidarity between Wales and the Amazon.

“These bracelets are more than a gift—they are a message,” said Barbara Davies Quy, Deputy Director at Size of Wales. “They represent the strength and spirit of Indigenous women who are safeguarding tropical forests which are so key in tackling climate change. It’s a beautiful symbol of Cymru’s commitment to being a globally responsible nation.”

Defending the future

This symbolic exchange of bracelets also echoes the FAW’s “Breichledau: For Her” initiative, which invites fans to show solidarity with the Cymru Women’s Team through handmade friendship bracelets. Together, the shared gestures, from Wales to the Amazon, demonstrate how small acts of connection can carry powerful messages of unity and support.

This event forms part of a one-off initiative supported by FAW to back Indigenous women from the Wampís Nation and the Guarani People in Brazil—frontline defenders of two of the most important and threatened tropical forests in the world.

While Cymru’s women take to the pitch, these Indigenous women are fighting to protect their land, cultures, and biodiversity—often at great personal risk. The support from FAW will help fund:

• Women-led sustainable craft-making and market access in the Wampís Nation.
• Participation, cultural preservation, and leadership training for Guarani women.

Alignment

The Wampís people (population 15,000) are indigenous to the Peruvian Amazon. Their territory covers over 1.3 million hectares of tropical forest near the border with Ecuador and is extremely biodiverse, with 98% of the forest remaining intact. The Wampís’ forests make a significant contribution to climate mitigation in Peru and internationally. Their land stores 522 million metric tonnes of CO2e and their forests absorb 57 million tonnes of CO2e every year – more than what Wales emits in a year (Wales’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2021 totalled 36.3 million tonnes of CO2e).

Nevertheless, more than two-thirds of the Wampís’ territory is still legally unprotected because the Peruvian State has not given a collective title to their whole ancestral territory, and therefore exposing their forests to many threats, such as illegal logging, gold mining and oil exploration. Logging is degrading the forests and illegal gold mining is contaminating the rivers through the use of mercury and cyanide, damaging people’s health, and polluting rivers and ecosystems. There have been frequent leaks and spills from an oil pipeline which runs through their territory, causing grave harm to the environment and people’s health.

Almendra Monsalve Shirap, Wampís leader from the Kanus river basin, said: “We, the Wampis Women’s artisan group, would like to thank Cymru women for supporting us. And we wish them much success in their championship. Thank you very much. Til Juminsajme!”

These efforts align with Wales’ Well-being of Future Generations Act, reinforcing its commitment to social justice, climate action, and Indigenous rights.

“Football inspires unity, resilience, and hope—values that are shared by the Indigenous women we’re supporting,” said Helen Antoniazzi, Head of Public Affairs and Sustainability at the FAW.

“This partnership shows that Cymru is playing its part in protecting the planet—and standing shoulder to shoulder with those who defend it every day.”

For more information on Size of Wales, visit https://sizeofwales.org.uk/