From Personal Growth to Biodiversity Leadership

"Women often don't believe they can change anything." Civil society representatives argue that one of the main barriers to women and girls' participation in biodiversity conservation processes is a lack of awareness and competence.

A joint initiative of the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership and the National Biodiversity and Biosafety Center of the Committee for Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan facilitated a multi-stakeholder dialogue aimed at identifying existing gaps in the context of gender and biodiversity.

Scientists, community activists, youth, gender advocates, and representatives of responsible government agencies actively participated in the discussions. The diverse group of participants allowed for a diverse perspective on the issue, and group work helped identify a number of key factors limiting women's participation in biodiversity-related processes.

"Legal norms are quite effectively structured and allow women to be active participants in biodiversity conservation efforts. Moreover, certain strategies and programs encourage and promote women's active participation in various sectors. However, unfortunately, the practical mechanisms for implementing these provisions remain insufficient." Furthermore, participants agree that traditional stereotypes, according to which men play a key role in decision-making, continue to persist in certain regions.

It has been repeatedly stated that women, particularly in rural areas, still lack sufficient information about how they can be involved in these processes, what practices are most sustainable in land use, and how to become part of national and regional negotiations on biodiversity issues.

Participants agreed that respecting and protecting women's rights will strengthen their position in various sectors, including agriculture and environmental protection.

The discussions resulted in proposals to enhance women's environmental capacity and strengthen their role, which will be presented during the updating of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.