According to the Observer Research Foundation3, about 43% of the agricultural workforce in developing countries are women (Suri, 2020). The research highlighted how women and girls form the majority of the world’s food producers. Complementary to this, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has estimated that rural women produce half of the world’s food. In the Philippines, women from rural and indigenous communities play a significant role in food production both within the household and on a national scale. They compose 60-80% of those who grow food crops. They ensure that food will be available daily. They are also at the forefront of the defense of their land and natural resources against government projects and large foreign investments. They are seed custodians, knowledge keepers, and stewards of biodiversity. In effect, women are at greater risk due to the threat of the pandemic to agricultural produce and market closures brought by imposed lockdowns. It has further taken a toll on women’s productivity and income. Rahman (July 2021) noted in her study that during the pandemic, women experienced a higher stress level which contributes to potential poor mental health as food insecurity deteriorated during the pandemic4. This report aims to present the impact of the pandemic on indigenous women and girls particularly focusing on food security. The data and analyses from this report were drawn from the result of the survey conducted by LILAK (Purple Action for Indigenous Women’s Rights) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on the various challenges that indigenous women and girls are currently facing, in August 2021. 3 Observer Research Foundation (2020). https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/gendered-effect-of-pandemicacross-the-food-system/ 4 In her study, Tabassum Rahman examined the association between food insecurity and mental health of poor rural women in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic. Page 12 of 206