The gender dimension in biodiversity: what to expect from COP16

Women play a crucial role in biodiversity conservation. Understand how countries address the issue in the Convention on Biological Diversity.

COP16’s logo launch, with a speech by the conference president, Susana Muhamad González. Photo credit: COP16 press release.

By Cândida Schaedler, Researcher at EmpoderaClima

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) - a body linked to the United Nations (UN) -, recognizes, in its preamble, “the vital role that women play in the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and affirming the need for the full participation of women at all levels of policy-making and implementation for biological diversity conservation”. In this regard, it is necessary to recognize the gender dimensions in the discussion of biodiversity, especially before the Conference of the Parties to the CBD, known as the Biodiversity COPs.

This year, the 16th Biodiversity COP will be held between October 21 and November 1, 2024 in Cali, Colombia. How important is it to include gender in discussions on biodiversity? How far have countries come in terms of the intersection between biodiversity and gender? What to expect at this year’s event? We answer everything in this EmpoderaClima’s research.

What is COP16 and CBD?

The COP, or Conference of the Parties, is the most important forum for discussion and negotiation from the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). At this biannual meeting, countries discuss issues related to the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of resources, and the fair and equitable distribution of the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources, for example.

COP16, or the 16th Conference of Parties, will be the first after the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), which took place during COP15 in December 2022. 

COP15 was held in two moments. The first, in 2021, was virtual. The second, in 2022, was in person, in Montreal, Canada. There, the GBF was adopted, which represents a key moment in the preservation of biodiversity. In the document, the 196 UN signatory countries agreed with four major goals and 23 targets related to biodiversity, in order to halt, by 2050, the unprecedented loss of species.

The four goals focus on ecosystems and species health, including the sustainable use of biodiversity, equitable sharing of benefits and on implementation and finance to reduce the biodiversity finance gap up to 700 billion USD per year.

Among the 23 targets to be achieved by 2030, are the conservation of 30% of land, sea and water areas, restoring 30% of degraded ecosystems, curbing the introduction of invading species and reducing environmentally damaging subsidies by 500 billion dollars per year.

For the implementation and subsequent evaluation of the progress of the goals and targets in each country, each State must create, according to Article 6 of the Convention on General Measures for Conservation and Sustainable Use, national strategies, plans or programmes for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. Furthermore, each part must integrate biodiversity, as far as possible and as appropriate, into relevant sectoral or cross-sectoral plans, programmes and policies. These are called National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), through which progress towards agreed items is monitored. At COP16, countries are expected to present their first reports since the signing of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Women are guardians of biodiversity and, therefore, it is important that their rights are safeguarded in international agreements. Photo credit: Ives Ives, Unsplash

How is gender equality addressed in the Biodiversity COPs?

Biodiversity COPs historically focus on gender equality, with significant progress made at COP15. Specific targets now address the inclusion of women and Indigenous Communities, by emphasizing the importance of equitable benefit sharing and participation and respect for traditional knowledge. Target 23 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, for example is “ensure gender equality and a gender-responsive approach to decision-making related to”.

In addition to the inclusion of the specific target signed by the 196 countries, COP15 also adopted the Gender Plan of Action, recognizing the critical role of women and gender equality in achieving biodiversity-related targets. According to the document, the purpose is to ‘support and promote the responsive implementation of the GBF’. Some specific goals detailed in the Action Plan include:

• Offering training and support to strengthen the work of women and gender defenders in biodiversity conservation.

• Ensure that financial resources are allocated to support gender-specific actions and initiatives in biodiversity conservation.

• Improve gender data collection and analysis to guide policies and measure progress in gender equality.

According to the Global Greens organization, which brings together more than 100 political parties committed to the climate agenda around the world, some challenges remain to achieve equitable representation and ensure that benefits reach marginalized groups. There is progress made to monitor developments, promote capacity building and provide legal protections, but continued focus is necessary to achieve the targets of inclusion and equality.

Moreover, within the CBD there is the Women’s Caucus, an official group that defends the gender agenda in the field of biodiversity at the UN. The global platform is made up of more than 250 organizations from over 100 countries and is coordinated by Mexican Amelia Arreguín.

Why is it important to discuss the intersection between gender and biological diversity?

Biodiversity can be succinctly defined as the variety of species and ecosystems within a specific region. Human beings, along with all other species—whether animal or plant—are interdependent for survival. In essence, our existence on the planet is reliant on biodiversity, encompassing everything from the air we breathe to essential resources such as water and food.

Nowadays, the planet is confronting an unprecedented loss of ecological diversity. According to a report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the average abundance of native species across most territories has declined by at least 20%, particularly since 1900. This decline can be attributed to land-use practices, pollution, deforestation, and exploitation for economic purposes.

In biodiversity conservation, women play a distinct role compared to men in the use and management of natural resources. According to a report from WEDO, the figures vary by region, but in most countries of the Global South, women are central figures in biodiversity conservation, even though they access resources in an unequal manner compared to men.

The research also reinforces the following data:

• Women often take on leadership roles in household and community management, controlling consumption patterns, collecting firewood for cooking, managing household food waste, and providing healthcare through traditional medicines.

• Women in the Global South carry an average of 20 liters of water per day over a distance of 6 kilometers.

• Women are responsible for approximately 60% to 80% of global food production and are essential in the management of water and forests. However, they possess limited legal rights to land and, globally, own less than 2% of legal land titles.

The WEDO report endorses that all these aspects are interconnected with biodiversity preservation, as the more rights women possess, the greater the progress made in systemic and effective conservation. After all, if they play such a crucial role, it is imperative that they be integrated into public policies and decision-making processes related to ecological diversity.

A study by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) defines the importance of gender-responsive initiatives that adopt transformative gender approaches.

• Gender-responsive goes beyond identifying gender issues to include proactive efforts to promote equitable participation and the distribution of benefits. 

• Gender-transformative actions aim to change the unequal power dynamics by addressing social norms and cultural constraints, such as the control of biological resources.

Therefore, the IIED document proposes that a cultural change take place within conservation organizations through access to information on gender equity, the promotion of knowledge exchanges among conservationists, policymakers, and women's networks, and by actively seeking local perspectives.

What can be expected for COP16 concerning the gender dimension?

COP16 is the opportunity for countries to present the progress and actions they have taken towards the implementation of the 23 targets and objectives agreed upon at COP15, as explained in a previous section of this research. This conference will be the moment to understand what concrete steps have been taken to ensure that women gain more equity in cross-cutting issues related to ecological diversity: access to land, rights, participation in decision-making, and effective integration into public policies.

According to the organization Global Greens, since the theme of biodiversity and gender is interconnected, a highly anticipated date at COP16 is October 28, designated as the thematic day for Finance and Biodiversity. On this day, finance ministers and CEOs are expected to engage in discussions about financial systems and support mechanisms to achieve the objectives outlined in the agreement.

“This is an important day to ensure that there is a robust and specific gender-responsive budget,” writes Global Greens.

EmpoderaClima will be attentive to the discussions and will participate in the event in person.

If you are interested in exploring additional resources on gender and biodiversity, EmpoderaClima offers original articles that delve into the following topics: water, agroecology, women in agriculture, Indigenous women, and climate migrants. Furthermore, you are invited to browse our database, which contains a range of articles, reports, videos, and podcasts that examine biodiversity.