Gender Considerations and Approaches: Protecting Defenders

Worthy of dignity and safety

In the first-ever IUCN World Conservation Congress thematic session focused on understanding and addressing gender-based violence (GBV) in relation to environmental issues and threats such as climate change, member organizations discussed the steps they are taking to safeguard staff, partners and beneficiaries; tackle discriminatory norms that allow for or employ violence; and cooperate across sectors to better advance rights-based gender-responsive programming and results.

Event

Gender-based Violence and Environment Linkages: Summary for Policymakers

Published in this critical post-2020 period of environmental decision-making, and with less than a decade to meet targets of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, this summary is designed to support policymakers and implementers to address and respond to GBV and environment links.

Policy

Profiles for change: Amelia Arreguín, Women’s Caucus of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

See this profile on Amelia Arreguín, an activist from Mexico working in various advocacy spheres on women’s and girl’s human rights across the environment sector, including the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Women’s Caucus.

Web Story

Accumulation by dispossession in coastal Ecuador: Shrimp farming, local resistance and the gender structure of mobilizations

In Ecuador, the shrimp industry caused mangrove losses that disproportionately affected women. Working with the Foundation of Ecological Defense (FUNDECOL), positive changes in attitudes surrounding GBV and gender equality were achieved over time – while increasing the role of women as mangrove managers and environmental defenders – in part by empowering women’s collective action to challenge and change gender norms to improve fisheries livelihoods.

Academic paper

Gender-based Violence and Biodiversity: A briefing note on linkages to inform the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework process

This Briefing Note reviews key evidence on GBV and biodiversity linkages and suggests priority recommendations that decision-makers at all levels can consider for realising robust gender-responsive action in biodiversity policies and action.

Policy

Challenging gender-based violence for women’s engagement in environmental protection

Environmental protection is one area where women are generating different success stories while their engagement is obstructed by gender-based violence and unpaid care work – a view from IUCN Bangladesh.

News Article

Mujeres Defensoras de los Derechos Humanos Ambientales: Enfrentarse a la violencia de género en defensa de las tierras, los recursos naturales y los derechos humanos

En el presente informe de la SRJS se examinan los desafíos diferenciados por género a los que se enfrentan las defensoras de los derechos humanos del medio ambiente, incluida la violencia de género, y se formulan recomendaciones para que la sociedad civil y los gobiernos refuercen las protecciones.

Brief

Femmes défenseures des droits humains relatifs à l’environnement : Faire face à la violence basée sur le genre dans la défense des terres, des ressources naturelles et des droits humains

Cette note d’information du SRJS passe en revue les défis sexospécifiques auxquels les femmes défenseurs des droits humains environnementaux sont confrontées, y compris la violence sexiste, et formule des recommandations à l’intention de la société civile et des gouvernements pour renforcer les protections.

Women Environmental Human Rights Defenders: Facing gender-based violence in defense of land, natural resources and human rights

This SRJS brief reviews the gender-differentiated challenges women environmental human rights defenders face, including gender-based violence, and recommendations for civil society and governments to strengthen protections.

Brief

Liens entre la violence basée sur le genre et l’environnement : la violence des inégalités

Cette publication établit que ces modèles de VBG sont observés dans tous les contextes environnementaux, affectant la sécurité et le bien-être des nations, des communautés et des individus, et compromettant la réalisation des Objectifs de développement durable (ODD). Bien que les liens entre VBG et questions environnementales soient complexes et se produisent à de multiples échelles, ces menaces aux droits humains et à la santé des écosystèmes ne sont pas insurmontables.

Report