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T23 (Gender Equality): How to Use GEF Funding

This page aims to provide information regarding the gender equality in the implementation of the framework through a gender-responsive approach, for recipient Parties and relevant stakeholders, including how to access funding of the Global Environment Facility in this regard. It is a work in progress and will be updated as necessary.

  • Recognizing their equal rights and access to land and natural resources
  • Recognizing their full, equitable, meaningful and informed participation and leadership at all levels of action, engagement, policy and decision-making related to biodiversity.

Financial support of the Global Environment Facility

GEF-financed projects related to gender

GEF policy framework on Gender ensures that all GEF investments are contributing to this target.
Guidelines on Gender Equality (Policy: SD/GN/02) approved on 30 June 2017
Policy on Gender Equality (Policy: SD/PL/02)) approved on 30 November 2017

Guidance to the financial mechanism

The Conference of the Parties has invited the Global Environment Facility to support:

  • Particular attention needs to be paid to the gender dimension (Decision XIII/21, annex I, para. 3)
  • Including gender in the financing of biodiversity and ecosystem services (Decision X/24, annex, E, para. 2.8; XII/7, annex, II, para. 7; XIII/21, annex II, para. 28(a))
  • Inclusion of perspectives of indigenous peoples and local communities, particularly women, in the financing of biodiversity and ecosystem services; (Decision X/24, annex, paragraph 4.6; decision X/25, paragraph 12; decision XI/5, paragraph 24; decision XII/30, paragraph 21; and also decision X/42, paragraph 6; decision XI/3, B, paragraph 7; decision XI/14, paragraphs 8 and 9, XIII/21, annex II, para. 17)
  • Technical and financial support, as well as capacity building and development, for implementation of the Gender Plan of Action (decision 15/11, para. 10)

Guidance to Parties

Planning

  • Promote wide stakeholder consultations that are gender sensitive, including, as appropriate, through the principle of prior-informed consent or approval and involvement and accounting for the input from this process during the development of sectoral integration plans in order to identify potential adverse impacts, develop appropriate measures to minimize/mitigate them, implement the plans, and monitor and evaluate them; (XII/5, annex, para. 5)
  • Ensure the appropriate participation of all relevant stakeholders, including women, youth, and indigenous peoples and local communities in the finalization and implementation of the national biodiversity strategy and action plan for better articulation and planning to achieve synergies; (XIII/24, annex I, para. 10(e))
  • Gain the full and effective participation of both men and women, considering the different needs of men and women in designing and implementing specific actions in support of the implementation of the Convention and its Protocols, and promote the participation of girls and women in a meaningful, timely and effective manner; (XII/7, annex, para. 6-7)
  • Incorporate the Gender Plan of Action in national biodiversity strategies and action plans, and include gender specific indicators in the development of national indicators, collecting data disaggregated by sex, age and other demographic factors and gender indicators, where possible; (15/11, para. 4)

Conservation

  • Carry out participatory national reviews of the status, needs and context-specific mechanisms for involving stakeholders, ensuring gender and social equity, in protected areas policy and management, at the level of national policy, protected area systems and individual sites; (VII/28, annex, goal 2.2, 1.1)

Sustainable Use

  • Recognize the important role of women, in particular the vital role that women in indigenous and local communities play, in the processing and sale of wild meat and broadly in the sustainable use of biological diversity, while taking into account the needs, priorities and capacities of women and men;(14/7, annex, para. 45(b)(v); VI/22, para. 32)
  • Recognize the important role of women in the processing and sale of wild meat, while taking into account the needs, priorities and capacities of women and men; (14/7, annex, para. 45(b)(v))

Sectoral Consideration

  • Gather and use gender-disaggregated data, and engage women’s groups already active in related sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, and forestry; (XII/7, annex, para. 9)
  • Identify and promote sustainable agricultural practices, integrated landscape management of mosaics of agriculture and natural areas, as well as appropriate farming systems that will reduce possible negative impacts of agricultural practices on biological diversity and enhance the ecological functions provided by biological diversity to agriculture, and promote the transformation of unsustainable agricultural practices into sustainable production practices adapted to local biotic and abiotic conditions, in conformity with the ecosystem or integrated land use approach; the use of farming practices that not only increase productivity, but also arrest degradation as well as reclaim, rehabilitate, restore and enhance biological diversity; mobilization of farming communities including indigenous and local communities for the development, maintenance and use of their knowledge and practices in the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity in the agricultural sector with specific reference to gender roles; (III/11, para. 17; IX/1, para. 9; IV/6, para. 4; X/34, para. 19)
  • Strengthen participation of women, indigenous peoples and local communities in the sustainable use and conservation of forest biological diversity, especially but not limited to the sustainable use and conservation of non-timber resources, and values, and to resolve land rights and land use disputes in order to sustainably manage forest biodiversity; (XIII/3, para. 52; IX/5, para. 1(m); VI/22, para. 32; VI/22, annex, programme element 1, goal 4, objective 3(a), 3(b))
  • Promote the mainstreaming of biological diversity in the energy and mining, infrastructure and manufacturing and processing sectors, with the full and effective participation of relevant sectors, indigenous peoples and local communities, academia, women, youth and other relevant stakeholders, and the mainstreaming of agricultural biodiversity in national plans, programmes and strategies with the active participation of local and indigenous communities; (14/3, para. 13(e); VII/3, para. 10)
  • Enable participation at all levels to foster the full and effective contributions of women, indigenous and local communities, civil-society organizations, the private sector and stakeholders from all other sectors in the full implementation of the objectives of the Convention; (X/2, para. 3(a))

Climate

  • Identify and consider vulnerable regions, subregions and ecosystem types, including with regard to the needs and strategic interests of vulnerable groups, such as women, the elderly, and indigenous peoples and local communities, among others, when planning and implementing ecosystem-based approaches to climate change adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk reduction activities, and to minimize and, where possible, avoid activities that may increase the vulnerability and reduce the resilience of biodiversity and ecosystems; (14/5, para. 5(c), 3(g); XIII/4, para. 8(b); IX/16, para. 4(a) and annex II, para. 18; VIII/30, para. 7)
  • Consider introducing necessary measures, administrative as well as legislative, for ensuring the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples and local communities, women, youth and elders, in formulating, implementing and monitoring of activities aimed at mitigation and adaptation to the impacts of climate change and disaster risk reduction; (IX/13B, para. 6; 14/5, para. 3(a))

Health

  • Consider gender-differentiated impacts and responses in the integration of biodiversity and health linkages in their policies, plans and actions; (14/4, para. 4; XII/7, annex, para. 2)

Awareness

  • Encourage local authorities to reach out to major groups such as children and youth, women, local parliamentarians and/or legislators, NGOs and businesses, to raise awareness about the importance of biodiversity and promote partnerships on local action for biodiversity; (X/22, annex, D, para. (p))

Valuation

  • Ensure that the valuation of biodiversity resources includes their use by both men and women, including gender-disaggregated data; (XII/7, annex, para. 7)

Biosafety

  • Engage constructively with all stakeholders, including with industry the public, indigenous peoples and local communities, and women for the effective implementation of the Cartagena Protocol on Protocol; (9/1, para. 11)

Knowledge

  • Further promote the education of women and their role in the conservation and dissemination of traditional knowledge (VII/27, annex, goal 3.5.5)
  • Increase awareness of the actual and potential contribution of knowledge, practices and innovations of indigenous and local communities and related access and benefit sharing issues, notably through the increase in the number of biodiversity-related publications in national libraries, and alternative means of communicating public information on traditional knowledge related to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, in plain language and diverse community-friendly formats, such as video, including television, audio for community radio, songs, posters, theatre/drama, and film, in order to ensure the full and effective participation of indigenous and local communities, including women and youth, at local, national and international levels, while supporting the development by indigenous and local communities of their own media tools; (VIII/6, annex II, priority activity 2, 3; XI/2D, para. 24; VI/19, para. 11; IX/13E, para. 5; NP-1/7, para. 7; VII/27, annex, goal 3.5.2)
  • Support actions to strengthen knowledge on the linkages between gender and biodiversity, including the collection of sex-disaggregated data, highlighting the unique knowledge of biodiversity held by women and indigenous and local communities experts on diversity and gender mainstreaming and the importance of traditional knowledge and customary practice held by men and women in supporting implementation of national biodiversity strategies and action plans; (14/18, para. 4; XII/7, annex, para. 1, 3;)

Capacity

  • Ensure that capacity‑building programmes include both scientific and traditional knowledge and involve participatory processes, community-based management, and the use of the ecosystem approach, and the management of systems of life, and take into consideration the needs of relevant stakeholders, and particularly indigenous and local communities, women, the youth, vulnerable and marginalized; (XII/5, annex, A)
  • Appoint and provide support for a national gender and biodiversity focal point for biodiversity negotiations, implementation and monitoring; (15/11, para. 7)
  • Increase the gender responsiveness of biodiversity capacity-building and development, technical and scientific cooperation and technology transfer, provision of financial resources, and other means of implementation, with the aim of strengthening the support for the full and effective participation of women and girls; (15/11, para. 12)

Participation

  • Encourage decentralization and enhance access to information for the full participation and involvement of indigenous peoples and local communities in decisions that affect them in relation to mountain ecosystems, and promote networking, collaborative action and participation of indigenous and local communities in decision-making processes, paying particular attention to the empowerment of women, in order to maintain mountain biodiversity and its sustainable use; (VII/27, annex, action 2.2.3, 2.2.4; VIII/1, annex, priority action 9.1.2.1)
  • Develop, including in local languages, as appropriate, alternative means of communicating public information on traditional knowledge related to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, in plain language and diverse community-friendly formats, such as video, including television, audio for community radio, songs, posters, theatre/drama, and film, in order to ensure the full and effective participation of indigenous and local communities, including women and youth, at local, national and international levels, while supporting the development by indigenous and local communities of their own media tools; (IX/13E, para. 5; V/16, para. 12)
  • Promote the participation of national stakeholders, and facilitate and support the development of national plant conservation partnerships with the participation of indigenous and local communities and the widest range of stakeholders, recognizing the important role of women; (XII/15, para. 7; VII/10, para. 6)
  • Increase representation of women in their delegations to meetings of the Convention on Biological Diversity, with a view to achieving gender equality, including through requests for support for participation through the Special Voluntary Trust Fund (BZ), where applicable; (15/11, para. 11)

Gender Plan of Action

  • Implement the Gender Plan of Action to support and advance gender mainstreaming and gender responsive implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (15/11, para. 2);
  • Implement the Gender Plan of Action in synergy with gender plans or strategies developed under other relevant multilateral environmental agreements or related multilateral processes, as appropriate (15/11, para. 5);
  • Submit information on efforts and steps taken to implement the Gender Plan of Action in their national reporting, including sex-disaggregated data (15/11, para. 6);

Related references

Gender mainstreaming and biodiversity conservation4
Best practices in gender and biodiversity
Addressing gender issues and actions in biodiversity objectives
Advancing women’s rights, gender equality and the future of biodiversity in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework
CBD Technical Series 49 – guidelines for mainstreaming gender into NBSAPs
Ensuring women’s legal rights to land ownership and/or control
Governing land for women and men
Developing gender-sensitive value chains
FAO country gender assessments

TARGET 23

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. (Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework)
Decision 15/11: Gender Plan of Action (2023-2030)
Expected outcome 1: All people in particular all women and girls, have equal opportunity and capacity to contribute to the three objectives of the Convention
1.1 Increase all women and girls’ rights to ownership and control over land and access to natural resources and to water, to support the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity
1.2 Ensure equal access for all women and girls to resources, services and technologies to support their engagement in the governance, conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity (including financial services, credit, education, training and relevant information among others)
1.3 Ensure gender equitable access in relation to access and benefit sharing instruments, as appropriate
1.4 Promote women’s empowerment and entrepreneurial opportunities in biodiversity-based supply chains and sectors, that support sustainable management and production practices
1.5 Identify and eliminate, prevent and respond to all forms of gender-based discrimination and violence, in particular in relation to control, ownership and access to sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity, including protecting women environmental human rights defenders and park rangers
Expected outcome 2: Biodiversity policy, planning and programming decisions address equally the perspectives, interests, needs and human rights of all people, in particular of all women and girls
2.1 Increase opportunities and strengthen the meaningful and effective participation and leadership of women at all levels of action, engagement and decision-making related to the three objectives of the Convention
2.2 Enhance the meaningful and effective participation and leadership of women in processes under the Convention on Biological Diversity, including through the engagement of women’s groups and women delegates
2.3 Integrate human rights and gender equality considerations into national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs)
Expected outcome 3: Enabling conditions are created to ensure gender responsive implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
3.1 Develop national capacity to produce and use gender and biodiversity data, including relevant data disaggregation (e.g. sex, age, ethnicity and other demographic factors)
3.2 Strengthen the evidence base, understanding and analysis of the gender-related impacts of the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the role of all women and girls as agents of change in achieving its goals and targets, including insights from traditional knowledge of all women and girls from indigenous peoples and local communities
3.3 Support access to information and public participation of women and girls’ organizations, networks, leaders and gender experts in the resourcing, implementation, monitoring and reporting on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
3.4 Ensure coherent gender responsive implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework through identifying synergies and drawing on relevant experience from related United Nations and international processes
3.5 Ensure that national reports and submissions under the Convention on Biological Diversity provide information on the implementation of the Gender Plan of Action and gender-responsive implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
3.6 Allocate adequate human and financial resources to support rights-based gender-responsive implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, including by tracking and reporting resource allocations for gender initiatives, and applying gender-responsive budgeting
Decisions XII/7: Mainstreaming gender considerations and IX/24: Gender Plan of Action