Gender Equality in Shared Resources, Joint Solutions
Strengthening economic, environmental and social values
Around the world, natural ecosystems provide both habitat for wildlife species and important goods and services for people, such as fresh water and climate resilience. However, unsustainable production and the effects of climate change are increasing pressure on ecosystems worldwide. Sustainable development requires aligning the interests of different stakeholders to strike a balance between economic, environmental and social values. In Shared Resources, Joint Solutions (SRJS), almost 200 civil society organisations across 26 landscapes in 16 countries are working passionately and collaboratively towards this goal.
Local and indigenous communities, and specific groups such as women and youth, often have insufficient access to and involvement in decision making over natural resources. Therefore, gender equality and social inclusion are guiding principles of SRJS, as advancing gender equality and social equity are matters of fundamental human rights and are globally recognised as prerequisites for effective, long-term sustainable development.
How IUCN integrates gender throughout SRJS
Tailored support for gender equality.
IUCN GPGR/Gender Team has served as a main technical adviser for SRJS country partners to build knowledge, capacity, and strategies for gender-responsive interventions related to key programme themes of water provisioning, food security and climate resilience. IUCN’s role has been to ensure SRJS principles of gender equality and social inclusiveness are effectively and thoroughly integrated throughout the project cycle to meet long-term goals of improved livelihoods with multi-stakeholder governance in landscapes. This requires both early and continuous intervention and support for programme partners, including through building capacity on gender and environment linkages, providing tailored feedback on gender analyses and activities, sharing gender-responsive best practices, strengthening institutional capacities, fostering networks and knowledge-sharing opportunities, and increasing advocacy opportunities for women and marginalised groups in CSOs.
Building gender and social inclusion approaches
A key focus of the Shared Resources, Joint Solutions (SRJS) programme has been improving the enabling environment for gender-responsiveness and inclusivity in conservation. This required partnering with civil society organisations while increasing the full and effective participation of vulnerable groups in natural resource and environmental governance. See this video on how WWF Guianas, Projekta and IUCN collaborated in Guyana and Suriname:
SRJS gender and environment briefs
SRJS gender webinars
SRJS blog series
An international partnership
Shared Resources, Joint Solutions (SRJS) is an expansive programme that focuses on safeguarding the sustainable provision of ecosystem-based International Public Goods (IPGs) — food, water and climate stability — in 16 low- and lower middle-income countries. IUCN, along with the IUCN National Committee of the Netherlands (IUCN NL), WWF Netherlands (Wereld Natuur Fonds) and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have formed a strategic partnership to strengthen the capacity of local non-government organisations (NGOs) and other civil society organisations (CSOs) in partner countries in order to enhance climate resilience, water supply and food security.
To learn more about the Shared Resources, Joint Solutions partnership (SRJS), please visit
