Bringing women’s perspectives into biodiversity conservation
During the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17) in Yerevan, Armenia, the session “Women at the Interfaces: Connecting Knowledge, Practice and Biodiversity” brought together women working across different fields to share their experiences and perspectives on women’s contributions to biodiversity conservation.
Paule Gros, co-founder and CEO of BiodivEarth, joined the discussion to share reflections from her professional journey in biodiversity and conservation. She highlighted the importance of addressing the barriers that continue to limit women’s leadership and participation in the sector.
Drawing on her experience, Paule emphasised the importance of passion and commitment in conservation work, as well as the need for each generation to make it easier for the next to engage and contribute. She also underlined the value of solidarity among women in advancing gender-responsive approaches to decision-making and encouraging greater participation in areas where women remain underrepresented.
The wider discussion explored several interconnected challenges, including the recognition of Indigenous knowledge alongside mainstream science, women’s influence in biodiversity decision-making and finance, and the importance of connecting local community leadership with global commitments.
Connecting perspectives to shape the future of conservation
Bringing together perspectives from science, Indigenous leadership, local communities and conservation practice, the session offered an opportunity to reflect on how women’s contributions can be better recognised and supported in the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
We are grateful to ScapesLab Living Lab, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency and SWAN for making this conversation possible, and to the participants for their valuable contributions. The exchange was a source of inspiration and a reminder of the importance of supporting women’s leadership and strengthening their role in shaping the future of biodiversity conservation.
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