LILAK

What LILAK does

LILAK (Purple Action for Indigenous Women's Rights) is a Philippines-based non-profit feminist collective founded in 2012 by Judy Pasimio and Den Ismael, after Pasimio's prior work at the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center. The organization exists to support and act in solidarity with the struggle of indigenous women across the Philippines, working across more than 29 indigenous communities including Palaw'an, Subanen, Teduray, Lambangian, Manobo, Mamanwa, Banwaon, Talaandig, Higaonon, and Ati-Bukidnon groups in regions spanning Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, Palawan, and BARMM. Its mission rests on three pillars: collective action, transformation, and freedoms for women with multiple identities.

LILAK's core activities are human rights advocacy, community organizing, research publication, and capacity building—delivered through programs such as the Indigenous Women Mentoring (IWoMen) Program, the National Indigenous Women Gatherings (NIWG), the BABAYEnihan disaster response mechanism, and partnerships with coalitions including Alyansa Tigil Mina, iDEFEND, PAHRA, 1Sambungan, FORUM-ASIA, ARROW, and ELAC. The organization produces an extensive content library of shadow reports to UN treaty bodies (CEDAW, ESCR Committee, Beijing Declaration+30), sectoral monitoring studies (e.g., the joint CHR study on indigenous women and girls during COVID-19, April–November 2021), and artivism outputs (Megsembatu Kite!, KPinay May K Ka, Fëgëlukës at Linggëng).

LILAK operates as a non-profit advocacy organization with 1–10 employees and does not sell products or services. Its revenue consists of donations collected via PayPal and BPI bank transfers, supplemented by grant support from international partners such as the Global Alliance for Green and Gender Action (GAGGA) and Fondo Centroamericano de Mujeres (FCAM). Governance is collective-based, anchored by Overall Coordinator Judy Pasimio, Coordinator Neca Reyes, and Vice-Chairperson Bae Rose Undag, with an Indigenous Women Steering Committee drawn from national gathering participants. As of March 2026, the organization remains operationally active, with recent statements and press releases on Palaw'an indigenous women and youth, International Women's Day, and the arrest of indigenous activist Edel Parducho.

Name

LILAK

Legal name

LILAK/Purple Action for Indigenous Women's Rights. Inc.

Website

https://lilak.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LILAK (Purple Action for Indigenous Women's Rights) is a Philippine feminist collective founded in 2012 that supports indigenous women's rights through community organizing, research publications, UN shadow reports, and capacity-building programs across 29 indigenous communities in Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, Palawan, and BARMM.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human Rights Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Minority, Indigenous & Disability Rights (BPADAGAH), Gender Equality & Women’s Rights (BPADAGAF)

Keywords

• Indigenous women rights
• Feminist advocacy
• Human rights organizing
• Community solidarity
• Women's empowerment

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: LILAK operates as a non-profit organization that receives donations through PayPal and bank transfers (BPI account). Donations are used to support partner communities directly, with women leaders organizing relief and empowerment activities for their communities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

LILAK is a Philippine-based non-profit feminist collective that supports indigenous women through community organizing, capacity building (IWoMen Mentoring Program), advocacy campaigns on land rights and against mining, research and human rights documentation (CEDAW/ESCR shadow reports), and convening National Indigenous Women Gatherings. Its work centers on indigenous women's rights, gender-based violence response, and disaster relief (e.g., Typhoon Odette BABAYEnihan response) across 29 indigenous communities in the Philippines.

Product overview

LILAK (Purple Action for Indigenous Women's Rights) is a feminist advocacy collective and non-profit organization, not a product or technology company. It does not offer commercial products or services. Its activities include publications, campaigns, programs, and advocacy work supporting indigenous women's rights in the Philippines. The organization produces shadow reports, fact sheets, research studies, and educational materials, and facilitates solidarity programs and community organizing efforts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IWoMen (Indigenous Women Mentoring) Program A feminist, culturally responsive mentoring and leadership program for indigenous women in the Philippines, designed to build capacity and develop women leaders from indigenous communities.
• National Indigenous Women Gathering (NIWG)

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 100 indigenous women from 29 communities participated in 2021 National Indigenous Women Gathering
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership for the scoping study 'Exploring the Nexus of Indigenous Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights and Climate Change' conducted in 2023. Also partnered with indigenous women organizations KASAMA, SAKAHAMA, and Kesalabukan Tupusumi Organization.
• Commission on Human Rights (CHR) - Center for Gender Equality and Women's RightscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 April 2021Joint research partnership for the Sectoral Monitoring on the Situation of Indigenous Women and Girls during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The research was jointly conducted from April 11 to November 29, 2021, combining CHR's institutional mandate with LILAK's community networks.
• Midsalip Subanen Ministry Inc. (MSMI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner organization in Midsalip, Zamboanga del Sur. MSMI is a non-stock, non-profit organization committed to cultural education, environmental protection, and defense of Subanen rights. LILAK conducts exposure trips and community immersions with MSMI.
• 1Sambubungan (Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights Coalition)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of indigenous peoples and IP rights advocates. Together with LILAK, they developed the Indigenous Peoples' Electoral Covenant signed by Robredo-Pangilinan in April 2022.
• Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition against mining of which LILAK is a member. ATM National Coordinator Jaybee Garganera expressed support for Palaw'an women and youth in Brooke's Point, Palawan.
• FORUM-ASIAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the publication 'Mining Away Freedoms: Testimonies from Communities Fighting for their Rights' documenting human rights violations and environmental destruction from large-scale mining.
• In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement (iDEFEND)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of human rights organizations. LILAK participates in iDEFEND delegations to UN human rights reviews including CESCR 77th session in 2025.
• Environmental Legal Assistance Center (ELAC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in advocacy against destructive mining in Palawan, working with ATM, LILAK, and other groups.
• Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational alliance of human rights organizations. PAHRA Secretary-General Edgar Cabalitan joined iDEFEND and LILAK in UN ESCR review press releases.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP): Regional indigenous peoples' organization covering Asia advancing rights, self-determination, and traditional knowledge. Comparable as an indigenous-rights advocacy network operating across Asia including the Philippines, though at a broader regional scale and not women-specific.
• Karapatan (Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights): Philippine national alliance of human rights organizations documenting violations and advocating for civil and political rights. Comparable as a Philippine-based human rights advocacy body that LILAK overlaps with via iDEFEND coalitions, though Karapatan's mandate is broader human rights rather than indigenous women specifically.
• In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement (iDEFEND): Philippine coalition of human rights organizations. Directly comparable as a coalition partner of LILAK for UN human rights reviews (CESCR 77th session) and joint statements, though iDEFEND is a coalition of multiple organizations rather than a single staffed advocacy collective.
• Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM): Philippine coalition against large-scale mining that LILAK is a member of. Directly comparable in anti-mining and indigenous land defense advocacy, though ATM is a coalition of multiple organizations rather than a single staffed entity.
• Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA): Regional indigenous peoples' alliance in the Cordillera region of the Philippines advancing self-determination, land rights, and cultural preservation. Directly comparable in indigenous-rights focus and Philippine geography, though broader in scope (not women-specific) and operating at the regional alliance level rather than as a small staffed collective.
• Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center (LRC-KSK): Philippine legal and policy advocacy organization working with indigenous peoples on land, resource, and environmental rights. Highly comparable to LILAK because LILAK's founders (Judy Pasimio and Den Ismael) previously worked at LRC-KSK, and both organizations share indigenous-rights and anti-mining advocacy work in the Philippines.
• Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW): Regional feminist research and advocacy organization based in Malaysia advancing women's rights and sexual/reproductive health across Asia-Pacific. Comparable as an LILAK partner (joint 2023 SRHR-climate scoping study) and as a regional women's-rights advocacy body, though ARROW operates at a wider Asia-Pacific scale rather than Philippines-only.
• FORUM-ASIA: Bangkok-based regional human rights organization with a membership of Asian NGOs. Directly comparable as an LILAK partner (joint 'Mining Away Freedoms' publication) and as a regional human rights advocacy body engaging UN mechanisms, though FORUM-ASIA operates across all of Asia rather than Philippines-only.
• Tebtebba Foundation (Indigenous Peoples' International Centre for Policy Research and Education): Philippines- and Baguio-based Indigenous peoples' rights organization focused on policy research, education, and international advocacy. Directly comparable to LILAK in mission (indigenous rights), geography (Philippines), and engagement with UN mechanisms, but with a broader mandate including biodiversity and traditional knowledge rather than a women-only focus.

Broad incumbents

• Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHR): Philippine national human rights institution with which LILAK jointly conducted the 2021 Sectoral Monitoring research. Comparable in indigenous women-related research output and human rights mandate, though CHR is a government constitutional body rather than a civil society collective.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/katutubonglilak
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lilak-purpleaction

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about LILAK