Factoring in gender roles and relations in policymaking is crucial in the success of biodiversity conservation efforts, experts in a regional training workshop conducted here said.
Among the common insights that emerged from the workshop is the role of the special knowledge, skills, and experience of women in effective conservation programmes. In fishing communities, for example, women, who fish and gather shells in mangrove areas, would have different inputs from men, who usually fish at far-off coral reefs.
The five-day regional workshop from 9-13 December 2019 was organised by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) as part of their efforts to build a network of gender practitioners in biodiversity.
With representatives from ASEAN Member States and government and non-government organisations as participants, the workshop sought to deepen understanding and build capacity among policymakers and stakeholders in addressing gender and biodiversity issues in the ASEAN region.
Led by Tanya McGregor of the Secretariat of the CBD and CBD Gender Consultant Soma Chakrabarti Fezzardi, the first two days of the workshop were devoted on training trainers in gender mainstreaming, followed by a roll-out exercise where the new trainers facilitated a learning session attended by staff members of the ACB and its country partners.
The workshop also sought to gather inputs to ensure the gender responsiveness of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, which charts the long-term direction of biodiversity conservation and takes the vision of the CBD on Living in Harmony with Nature by 2050.
2019 Philippine Information Agency