On 13 May 2024, the CBD Women’s Caucus, together with a coalition of prominent environmental organisations, hosted an event entitled “Ensuring a Gender-Responsive Monitoring Framework”. This meeting aimed to address a critical aspect of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF): ensuring that gender and human rights considerations are at the forefront of global biodiversity monitoring and reporting.
The twenty-sixth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-26) in Nairobi provided the backdrop for this event. As global stakeholders prepare to finalise the KM-GBF monitoring framework at COP16, the need for robust, comprehensive and high-quality reporting has never been more critical. This framework will be instrumental in assessing the effectiveness of actions and strategies to achieve the biodiversity goals by 2030.
However, despite progress, there remain significant concerns about the inclusiveness of the framework, particularly in relation to gender and human rights (Section C of the KM-GBF). Recognising these gaps, the CBD Women’s Caucus undertook a thorough review of the proposed headline and binary indicators and shared its findings with the SBSTTA Ad Hoc Expert Group on Indicators to inform its discussions.
Setting the stage
Opening the event, Valentine Waroga of UN Women set the tone with a compelling message about the indispensable role of sex-disaggregated data in biodiversity frameworks. “Without sex-disaggregated data and gender statistics,” she said, “none of our four goals or any of the 23 targets of the KM-GBF will be achieved, nor will women’s rights in all their diversity be realised.”
An urgent call to action
The urgency of integrating gender considerations in the Monitoring Framework was stressed by Amelia Arreguín Prado, Coordinator of the CBD Women’s Caucus. Highlighting the urgent need for gender-disaggregated indicators to measure the gender-responsiveness of the KM-GBF, she emphasised that “the gender data gap isn’t just about silence. These gaps have consequences and it’s urgent that we adopt headline indicators to ensure that women’s contributions are visible and valued”.
Amplifying Indigenous Voices
Joji Cariño from the Forest Peoples Programme brought an important perspective to the discussion, highlighting the intersection of gender and indigenous rights. She spoke passionately about the essential role of indigenous women in biodiversity and the need for community-based monitoring tools, such as the Indigenous Navigator, to capture disaggregated data. “National statistics and global data often lack disaggregation for indigenous peoples,” Cariño noted, “which requires community-based monitoring tools to ensure accurate representation.”
Reflecting on progress and opportunities
Sharing insights from the International Land Coalition, Eva Hershaw discussed the progress and setbacks related to Target 23 from COP15 and highlighted opportunities for progress ahead of COP16. Hershaw highlighted the importance of recognising and integrating women’s traditional ecological knowledge into conservation strategies, stating that “recognising women’s traditional ecological knowledge is critical for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development”.
A way forward
A highlight of the event was the presentation by Melissa de Kock of UNEP-WCMC and Meenal Tatpati of W4B, who proposed a comprehensive methodology for measuring the implementation of the Gender Plan of Action (GPA) as a key indicator for Target 23. They emphasised that “a comprehensive methodology for measuring the implementation of the Gender Action Plan will provide a robust indicator for monitoring progress towards Goal 23”.
Conclusion
The event “Ensuring a Gender-Responsive Monitoring Framework” was a powerful call to action, highlighting the need for a holistic, inclusive approach to global biodiversity monitoring. By integrating gender-disaggregated data and recognising the unique contributions of women and indigenous communities, we can ensure that our biodiversity goals are met in a way that truly reflects and respects the diversity of our world.
As we look forward to COP16, the insights and recommendations from this side event will be crucial in shaping a monitoring framework that leaves no one behind, paving the way for a more equitable and effective global biodiversity strategy.
WATCH THE RECORDING HERE: https://www.youtube.com/live/nSSuRr7g8R0?si=RkOkxlKU2tyE5cmz
