Newsletter
January - March 2022
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POST-2020 GLOBAL BIODIVERSITY FRAMEWORK
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Gender equality target advocacy in the
Geneva CBD meetings March 13-29, 2022
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With the goal to realize a truly gender-transformative post-2020 global biodiversity framework, Women4Biodiversity (W4B) continued its campaign for a stand-alone gender equality target in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework during the March 14-29 Convention on Biological Diversity meetings in Geneva, Switzerland.
The target, brought to the table by Costa Rica, has gained support from the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC), as well as from Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Benin, Cameroon, and Tanzania during the Geneva meetings and allies from other groups and organizations.
Read more about the Target 22 Rationale here.
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Action: Adopt Target 22 this 2022!
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Women4Biodiversity led an action “Adopt Target 22 this 2022” last March 21 during the meetings, where Parties available at that time and some allies spoke and signed their support for the gender equality target. Read more about Parties’ support and the action here.
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Side events in Geneva
Targeting Gender - Best Practices and Ways Forward
14 March 2022
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Women4Biodiversity, together with the Secretariat of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, held last March 14 the side event “Targeting Gender: Best Practices and Ways Forward” during the Geneva CBD meetings. It provided a platform to advance gender considerations in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and its implementation through sharing reflections on the draft post-2020 Gender Plan of Action.
Read the full summary here.
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Side events in Geneva
Applying a Human Rights-Based Approach in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework
19 March 2022
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During the Geneva CBD meetings, Women4Biodiversity co-convened the side event “Applying a Human Rights-Based Approach in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework” in March 19. The side event drew attention to the importance of human rights in the GBF and created a common understanding of how a human rights-based approach to conservation works in practice. See the summary of the event here.
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Side events in Geneva
Integrating Human Rights in the Future of Biodiversity Action
22 March 2022
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After the March 19 human rights event, Women4Biodiversity co-convened another event on the same theme, “Integrating Human Rights in the Future of Biodiversity Action,” in March 22. The event invited speakers and the audience to truly reimagine humanity’s relationship with nature through an exploration of the linkages between human rights and biodiversity. See the summary here.
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Campaign: #GenderIsABiodiversityIssue
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Throughout the meetings, Women4Biodiversity has also been holding its #GenderIsABiodiversityIssue campaign, with a strong focus on getting support for Target 22 and gender responsiveness throughout the global biodiversity framework. Watch the short videos of support from allies on Women4Biodiversity’s social media accounts (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram). Search #GenderIsABiodiversityIssue in these platforms to find them more easily. See also the YouTube playlist here.
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Co-convening Women’s Caucus - UN CBD
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*At the Women’s Caucus - UN CBD preparations the day before the CBD meetings
Women4Biodiversity as the co-convenor of the Women’s Caucus - UN CBD, along with Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (FARN), supported the coordination and facilitation of the Caucus’ preparatory meetings, statements, interventions as well as policy advocacy with Parties, which were instrumental in pushing the campaign for Target 22 and a gender-responsive post-2020 global biodiversity framework forward, during the CBD meetings.
Watch the Women’s Caucus UN - CBD opening statement here and closing statement here.
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BUILDING SYNERGIES WITH OTHER RELEVANT MEETINGS
CSW66
14 - 25 March 2022
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The sixty-sixth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW66) took place from 14 to 25 March 2022, with the theme “achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes.”
Women4Biodiversity submitted an expert paper “Routes for change: Ensuring gender consideration in biodiversity governance” to the pre-CSW66 virtual expert group meeting convened by UN Women. The virtual expert group meeting (EGM) was on the priority theme “Achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in the context of climate change, environmental and disaster risk reduction policies and programmes,” held on 11 - 14 October 2021.
In the paper, W4B addressed the need for strengthening synergies and made a casefor a gender-responsive post-2020 global biodiversity framework, especially for a stand-alone gender equality target. Read the paper here.
In the same line, Women4Biodiversity co-convened events for CSW66, as shown below:
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ENABLING HER: Indigenous Women and their Access to
Climate and Biodiversity Finance
15 MARCH 2022
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Aligned with Women4Biodiversity’s campaign for a gender-responsive post-2020 global biodiversity framework is the CSW66 virtual event “Enabling Her: Indigenous Women and their Access to Climate and Biodiversity Finance” in March 15. The event was co-hosted by Foro Internacional de Mujeres Indígenas (FIMI), International Funders for Indigenous Peoples (IFIP), and Women4Biodiversity. Read highlights from the speakers here and watch the recording of the event here.
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Human rights and gender equality in the context of climate change, the environment and disaster risk reduction
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Women4Biodiversity participated in the panel of the CSW66 side event “Human rights and gender equality in the context of climate change, the environment and disaster risk reduction” last March 22. The event aimed to advance the human right to a healthy environment by inspiring rights-based, gender-responsive actions and policies. W4B Director Mrinalini Rai talked about women’s rights and gender-responsive policy. See more details about the event here.
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UNEA 5.2
Re-imagining Conservation: Integrating Human Rights in the Development and Implementation of the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework
28 February 2022
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During the second part of the fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA 5.2) in Nairobi, W4B co-convened a virtual side event together with other allies which was led by OHCHR on February 28. The event built on the recent Human Rights Council recognition of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a human right, and its speakers shared recommendations for a post-2020 global biodiversity framework that promotes rights-based action to protect biodiversity. Watch the recording here.
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CAMPAIGNS FOR INTERNATIONAL DAYS
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#HerEqualityforSustainability campaign this Women’s Month
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In line with the International Women’s Day theme of “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow,” Women4Biodiversity featured stories and insights of women on #HerEqualityforSustainability, starting with the initiative of a wildlife conservationist and a community to preserve a rare stork for World Wildlife Day.
On Women’s Day, W4B held Instagram live interviews with gender equality advocates Jeevika Shiv and Viviana Figueora, in English and Spanish, respectively. Watch the interview of Jeevika here and Viviana here.
Connected with both the #HerEqualityforSustainaibility and #GenderIsABiodiversityIssue campaign, Global Forest Coalition Director Simone Lovera shared insights on gender equality and forests during the International Day of Forests. Watch the short video here.
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#WomenActforWetlands campaign for the month of World Wetlands Day
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*Women making bags from cloth scraps to help reduce plastic pollution in Vembanad Lake in India
Every week, starting on World Wetlands Day on February 2, we featured stories of women working to conserve wetlands in their communities. From reducing plastic pollution and creating handmade products to control invasive alien species to restoring bodies of water that have dried up, these women are working to truly make #WetlandsforWomenandNature. Indeed, when #WomenActforWetlands, great things happen for biodiversity and the community. Read more and watch all videos here.
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Women4Biodiversity supports successful consultation for forest initiatives in Solomon Islands
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*A woman from Hageulu Village looking up a Tubi tree
With Women4Biodiversity’s support, the Network for Indigenous People Solomon Islands (NIPS) headed a successful consultation with stakeholders among the Hageulu community in Isabel province in Solomon Islands. After the consultation, the community agreed to work together to nurse seedlings and restore their Tubi forests. Read more about the consultation here.
This initiative in Solomon Islands is one of the 6 pilot sites of the project “Building Resilience and Weaving Gender Responsive Approaches to Biodiversity Governance.” The three-year project is funded by Sida through SwedBio at Stockholm Resilience Centre.
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SIDA and SwedBio support Women4Biodiversity’s three-year advocacy roadmap
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With the funding support of Sida through SwedBio at Stockholm Resilience Centre, Women4Biodiversity has embarked on a three-year practice to policy roadmap with the objectives of building resilience and weaving gender-responsive actions in ecosystem restoration approaches into national goals and international commitments through supporting six pilot sites in different regions. The process will enhance the sites’ capacity and support documenting local initiatives to amplify and embed the knowledge, contributions and roles of women and girls to advance collective advocacy. This three-year initiative envisions strengthening the voices of women from the ground and creating space for the diversity of its members to share, co-create and build collective actions.
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Report: Advancing Women’s Rights, Gender Equality and the Future of Biodiversity in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework
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As part of Women4Biodiversity’s advocacy in advancing gender considerations in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, it released a comprehensive report “Advancing Women’s Rights, Gender Equality, and the Future of Biodiversity in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework,” with key recommendations and actions for a gender-responsive post-2020 global biodiversity framework. You can view and download the report in English, Spanish, and French here.
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Read related resources on women, human rights and the environment below:
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