The International Day of Rural Women-- 15 October 2024
Women produce between 60-80 per cent of food in developing countries and play a critical role in managing natural resources. Rural women are crucial to the viability of global food production systems. The importance of their role contrasts with their vulnerability stemming from systemic gender inequalities and exposure to the impacts of the environmental poly-crisis afflicting the planet. Indigenous peoples and local communities, rural peoples, peoples in the global South and women and girls are particularly exposed.
From the loss of livelihoods caused by biodiversity loss, extreme weather events or land degradation to health hazards from exposure to pesticides and chemicals used in agriculture, rural women are in the eye of the storm. They are also part of the solution and are taking action.
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) recognizes that empowered women can contribute to halting and reversing biodiversity loss in a significant fashion. Adopted alongside the KMGBF at COP 15, the Gender Plan of Action under the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) aims to achieve the meaningful participation and leadership of women and girls in all actions related to biodiversity conservation and its sustainable use.
We expect Parties to reflect the Gender Plan of Action in the formulation and implementation of their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), the main vehicles of national planning and implementation under the CBD. In national implementation, the pursuit of gender equality is a natural ally of the implementation of the KMGBF. The world’s masterplan to halt and reverse biodiversity loss can only be achieved through a whole-of-society endeavour including women and girls.
SDG 5—the Sustainable Development Goal about achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls—can be paired with Target 23 of the KMGBF: ensuring gender equality and a gender-responsive approach for biodiversity action. Target 10 completes the jigsaw by seeking to enhance biodiversity and sustainability in agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry. One of its elements is nature’s contributions to people—including rural women and girls.
Rooted in a human-rights based approach, the KMGBF addresses gender equality as a cross-cutting consideration. Beyond linkages with SDG-5, empowering women and girls can secure progress across the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This endeavour also constitutes a fertile ground for synergies among the “Rio Trio”—which, in addition to the CBD, includes the global Multilateral Environmental Agreements on climate change and desertification.
Both synergies and women’s empowerment are on the agenda of COP 16 of the CBD, which will get underway in a week from now. Under the theme of “Peace with nature”, the UN Biodiversity Summit in Cali, Colombia will see the largest public participation in the history of the Convention.
Taking part in COP 16 alongside parliamentarians, business and finance professionals, environmental defenders, indigenous peoples and local communities, afrodescendent communities, campesinos and many other actors of biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, representatives of women and girls will contribute to a whole-of-society dialogue about policies, corporate strategies and individual actions that can bend current biodiversity loss trajectories and set the world on a path to living in harmony with nature.
Rural women are at the forefront of the endeavour for transformational change. Today and every day, let us empower them to contribute to shaping our sustainable and resilient common future.
More Information:
Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
Related Targets in The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
Ensure that areas under agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry are managed sustainably, in particular through the sustainable use of biodiversity, including through a substantial increase of the application of biodiversity friendly practices, such as sustainable intensification, agroecological and other innovative approaches contributing to the resilience and long-term efficiency and productivity of these production systems and to food security, conserving and restoring biodiversity and maintaining nature’s contributions to people, including ecosystem functions and services.
Why is this target important?
Agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry are globally important production systems that have varying impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity. The variety and variability of animals, plants and microorganisms used in these systems is an important aspect of biodiversity. Further, in many countries, activities associated with these production systems are important elements of human well-being and economic activity. However, the increasing demand for food, fibre and fuel is leading to increasing losses of biodiversity and ecosystem services, making sustainable management in these systems an urgent requirement. On the other hand, sustainable management not only contributes to biodiversity conservation but can also deliver benefits to production systems in terms of ecosystem services such as soil fertility, erosion control, enhanced pollination and reduced pest outbreaks, as well as contributing to the well-being and sustainable livelihoods of people engaged in agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry activities.
Links to other elements of the Biodiversity Plan and other frameworks and processes
- Actions to reach Target 10 should take into account all of the considerations for the implementation identified in section C of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
- This target will contribute to the attainment of goals A and B of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Further progress towards this target will facilitate the attainment of targets 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 16. Conversely, the attainment of this target will be facilitated by actions to reach targets 1, 14, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23.
- Target 10 addresses issues previously covered by Aichi Biodiversity targets 6 and 7
- Elements of Target 10 are also addressed in the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals, including targets 2.3, 2.4, 12.1, 12.2, 14.7 and 15.2.
Ensure gender equality in the implementation of the framework through a gender-responsive approach where all women and girls have equal opportunity and capacity to contribute to the three objectives of the Convention, including by recognizing their equal rights and access to land and natural resources and their full, equitable, meaningful and informed participation and leadership at all levels of action, engagement, policy and decision-making related to biodiversity.
Why is this target important?
Gender roles in many countries influence the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity by impacting the ability of women to participate in decision-making and by affecting their access to and control of land, biological resources and other productive assets. Considering gender dimensions in biodiversity-related decision-making can lead to positive outcomes for biodiversity and gender equality. Women often play a vital role in managing natural resources and promoting sustainable agriculture, forestry and fisheries. When women have access to resources, land, education, healthcare and economic opportunities on par with men, they are better able to participate in decision-making processes and advocate for environmental protection.
Links to other elements of the Biodiversity Plan and other frameworks and processes.
- Actions to reach Target 23 should take into account all of the considerations for implementation identified in section C of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
- Progress towards this target will contribute to the attainment of goals A and B of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Progress towards this target would also contribute to the attainment of all targets and in particular targets 9, 10 and 11.
- Elements of this target were previously addressed in Aichi Biodiversity Target 14.
- Elements of Target 8 are also addressed in the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals, including targets 5.1, 5.5 and 5.c
Click here for more information about Target 23