Open Call for Submissions: Indigenous Women and Traditional Medicine

The Fourth World Journal (FWJ) invites submissions for its upcoming special issues, scheduled for January 2026 and June 2026, focused on Indigenous women, traditional medicine, and community knowledge. These editions will highlight the vital contributions of women as knowledge keepers, healers, and leaders in sustaining cultural and community wellbeing.

Traditional medicine is the foundation of all healing systems. More than 80% of the world’s population relies on some form of traditional medicine for primary care. Across millennia, these practices have been rooted in an intimate connection with the living universe, shaping healing traditions in every culture. Traditional medicine encompasses treatments that address physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing and employs plants and medicinal foods, hands-on healing, fungi, rituals and a range of methods reflecting the connection between humans, animals, the environment and nature. By centering on traditional medicine, these journal issues will explore the enduring relevance and adaptability in contemporary society, demonstrating how ancestral knowledge continues to guide health, resilience, and sustainability.

Indigenous women have long held pivotal roles in maintaining and transmitting healing knowledge. Their work spans community leadership, healing education, caregiving and stewardship of cultural practices. In the context of modern health challenges—from chronic illness and mental distress to food insecurity and environmental threats—women’s knowledge is essential for preserving health, restoring balance, and fostering resilience within their communities.

The convergence of post-colonial legacies, ecological challenges, and systemic health inequities makes this a critical moment to recognize and support Indigenous women’s healing practices. Traditional medicine is deeply connected to food sovereignty, environmental justice, and feminist and Indigenous frameworks. Women’s knowledge guides the cultivation and use of traditional foods, supports sustainable land stewardship, and ensures that ecological systems and cultural practices remain resilient. These practices offer holistic strategies that attend to community wellbeing, cultural continuity, and social justice. By highlighting these intersections, the special journal issues demonstrate how Indigenous women and traditional healing systems provide solutions that are simultaneously local, global, and deeply rooted in ancestral knowledge

• Indigenous healing practices and the roles of women as knowledge keepers and healers
  
  
• Connections between traditional medicine, ecological knowledge, and sustainable community practices
  
  
• Health, nutrition, and wellbeing in Indigenous and marginalized communities
  
  
• The integration of traditional medicine with contemporary clinical and research frameworks
  
  
• Feminist and Indigenous perspectives on health, resilience, and cultural continuity
  
  
• Community-led and collaborative approaches to sustaining knowledge and practice
  

• Submission deadlines: Sept 15, 2025, and January 1, 2026
  
  
• Publication: January 2026 and June 2026
  

These special issues aim to amplify Indigenous voices, honor women’s leadership in health and healing, and illuminate the continued relevance of traditional medicine in today’s world.

For full submission details, please see the official Call for Papers. We encourage scholars, practitioners, community leaders, and creatives to contribute work that celebrates, examines, and advances the role of Indigenous women and traditional medicine.