International Women's Day, celebrated annually on March 8th, is a day dedicated to recognizing the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women around the world. It is also a time to raise awareness about women's ongoing struggles and inequalities and to renew the call for gender equality and women's rights.
This day has been observed since the early 1900s and continues to be a powerful symbol of the progress that has been made and the work that still needs to be done to create a more just and equal world for all women.
Women are vital for the management and sustainable use of land and biodiversity resources. In Africa alone, 70 per cent of food is produced by women according to the World Economic Forum. This means that women often have an intimate understanding of local ecosystems and are important stewards of natural resources such as water and energy needs.
Transforming the balance of power and working for gender equality is key to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals.” – Inger Andersen, Executive Director, UN Environment Programme.
As the leading global environmental authority, UNEP, has instituted Gender Mainstreaming strategies that ensure that all of UNEP’s projects reflect the different needs of women and men as captured in Sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
In line with this year's theme of "DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality"’ UNEP has been at the forefront of ensuring that women and girls have equal participation in project activities through the effective integration of gender considerations aided by the application of digital technologies and innovation in the monitoring and execution of project activities.
This has been made possible through projects and programmes funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), from Asia to the Mediterranean, enabling access to information and communication tools that enhance women’s participation in the sustainable ventures catalyzed by these projects.
In June 2021, UNEP created a Gender Community of Practice for its $43-million Mediterranean Sea Programme, whose primary objective is to reduce land-based pollution in key Mediterranean coastal hotspots as well as to safeguard marine biodiversity.
The Gender Community of Practice, a space where executing partners and national counterparts collaborate to enhance their understanding of gender equality and women's empowerment, has so far brought partners together to discuss gender issues in biodiversity, and gender issues related to chemicals and waste.
In Southeast Asia, UNEP's commitment to empowering women can be seen through the GEF-funded Fisheries Refugia project, which emphasizes the need to support fishing communities, particularly artisanal fishing families and women.
"Women's empowerment is key for a viable future. Involving women in all aspects of society is necessary to realize sustainable progress and create a brighter world for everyone," Sinikinesh Beyene Jimma, the head of UNEP's Marine and International Waters Unit, says.
In order to attain SDG 5 and commit to the GEF policies on gender inclusion in the design and implementation of GEF-financed projects, the Fisheries Refugia project is leading capacity-building initiatives to improve the role of women in fisheries management in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam.
The project has seen an increase of over 40 per cent in women's involvement in refugia site management thanks to the capacity-building activities that have been implemented so far, bringing the project's benefits close to parity for both men and women.
Despite the progress that has been made in recent decades, there are still many challenges that must be addressed to achieve true women's empowerment. UNEP’s 2022 report, Gender Mainstreaming in Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Management: Principles, Case Studies and Lessons Learned provides a clear roadmap that outlines 10 guiding principles that can promote a more socially just, environmentally sustainable and economically efficient development in coastal and marine management.
Principles for mainstreaming gender in coastal and marine management:
- Data that reveals the invisible work of unrecognized stakeholders
- Creating spaces for the unheard to speak and be listened to
- Validating and utilizing different capacities and knowledge of women and men
- Ensuring that project-generated resources and innovations benefit all
- Using a gender-responsive approach to develop skills and knowledge for sustainable livelihoods
- Enhancing inclusive decision-making in community-based organizations
- The political mobilization of excluded groups to advocate for their rights
- Multi-stakeholder collaboration for gender-equitable sustainable development
- Leveraging diversity, equity and inclusion in building local resilience to crises
- Sustaining empowerment and ecosystem benefits in the long term
UNEP’s Fisheries Refugia project teams employ these principles, tapping into the varied skills and knowledge of local stakeholders by involving both women and men in planning, executing, and monitoring the project via participatory methods, leveraging their expertise in assessing marine and coastal resources and their understanding of traditional practices related to resource management.
As we mark International Women’s Day, we must remember that the obstacles leading to systemic inequalities present us with the huge task of addressing gender discrimination as expressed in the Sustainable Development Goals report, which continues to limit women's access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities in many parts of the world.
By continuing to raise awareness, advocate for change, and support initiatives that promote women's rights and equality, we can all contribute to creating a better, more inclusive world for women and girls everywhere. Let us use this day as a reminder of the power of women, and the importance of working together to build a brighter, more equitable future for all.
To learn more about UNEP’s work with the Global Environment Facility in International Waters, contact Sinikinesh Beyene Jimma.
