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Celebrating International Women's Day on 8 March 2023

TUE // 7.3.2023

International Women’s Day - 8 March 2023
Statement by David Cooper, Acting Executive Secretary of the CBD
 

[Source: CBD Youtube Channel - https://youtu.be/i-b9OTgOidg]

 

#DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality

 

[PDF version - 143 Kb]

International Women’s Day (IWD) is an opportunity for us all to highlight the critical contribution of women and girls all over the world towards a sustainable future for the planet and for all people.

But we must also acknowledge that gender inequalities continue to result in women carrying a higher burden from biodiversity degradation and loss around the world.

Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity have committed to addressing such inequalities: inequalities that also restrict women’s rights and access to biodiversity and natural resources.

In December 2022, Parties adopted a Gender Plan of Action [PDF-564 Kb] with aim to ensure women’s equal access to resources, services and technologies and to support their engagement in the governance, conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. This includes access to education, training and relevant information. It brings women and girls to a table that they should have been sitting at from the beginning.
 

Illustration showing women using digital technology on IWD 2023
2023 IWD Theme: #DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality


Gender equality is also a key theme of the recently adopted Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)[PDF-328 Kb]. The Framework emphasizes that successful implementation will depend on ensuring gender equality and empowerment of women and girls. A specific target (Target 22) reflects the importance of access to information related to biodiversity by indigenous peoples and local communities, women and girls. Another (Target 23) ensures 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.

This sends a clear message that transformative change cannot be achieved without inclusive, equitable and gender-responsive decision-making.

Implementing the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework will require new solutions to address many of the challenges ahead. Innovation and technology will be essential in supporting these efforts underlining the relevance of the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day: #DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality. We must work towards reducing the digital gender gap to ensure women and girls’ access to technology and digital tools.

Gender equality is a fundamental human right and essential to tackling our greatest global challenges.

This year, 2023, let us not just imagine a world where women and people of all genders are equal in their rights, let us step up and speak out to make this a reality.


In-text References


IWD 2023 Resources

International Women's Day 2023 illustration