By: Amelia Arreguin Prado, CBD Women’s Caucus Coordinator
During mid-April, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), whose member countries are among the world’s largest providers of development cooperation, co-hosted a joint discussion exploring the intersection of gender equality and biodiversity in international development cooperation. This global dialogue – convened by GENDERNET and ENVIRONET, was a clear signal of a shift in how these issues are being understood at the international level.
It may sound like a technical topic—but it isn’t. For those of us working at this intersection, it felt like a long-awaited recognition that the fight for gender justice and the struggle to protect biodiversity are deeply connected, and that international cooperation must reflect that.
As the CBD Women’s Caucus – a global platform of women and gender-diverse rights holders engaging with the Convention on Biological Diversity – we grounded our intervention in years of advocacy, policy engagement, and lived experience, especially the perspectives of women and girls in all their diversity, including from Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
“From Participation to Power”
When we took the floor, we shared what we’ve learned from over a decade of work at the gender–biodiversity nexus. Our key message? Women are not just beneficiaries or ‘target groups’—they are political actors, land and knowledge holders, and defenders of biodiversity. Any approach to international cooperation that fails to recognise this reality is bound to fall short.
We called for development cooperation to move beyond participation and towards power, specifically, power in decision-making, governance, and agenda-setting. That means:
- Adopting a rights-based approach that centres equity and justice
- Ensuring direct support to women’s organisations and community-led initiatives
- Valuing local knowledge systems and collective action
- Providing long-term, flexible, and trust-based support, not just time-bound projects
- Strengthening technical and institutional capacity from the ground up
Learning from What Works
There are promising practices already in motion:
- The GEF Small Grants Programme, which has consistently supported community-led and women-led biodiversity action.
- Canada’s Equality Fund, which, although climate-focused, demonstrates what’s possible when feminist funds are scaled and supported.
- The role of good intermediaries like the Forest Peoples Programme, who work in solidarity with communities and build bridges between grassroots efforts and global processes.
What these have in common is not just funding, but trust, accessibility, and a commitment to shifting power.
To scale these efforts, international cooperation must simplify access procedures, invest in gender-responsive budgeting, and align funding with community-led priorities and practices.
Why It Matters?
Integrating gender into international biodiversity cooperation isn’t a technical add-on. It’s a matter of justice, and it’s a precondition for lasting impact.
Women and girls—especially those from Indigenous Peoples and local communities—are already leading biodiversity action. They are building solutions rooted in care, knowledge, and sustainability. The role of international cooperation is not to lead, but to listen, support, and follow their leadership.
This GENDERNET–ENVIRONET dialogue was a refreshing step forward. We hope it marks the beginning of deeper, more sustained collaboration across these spaces—and a shared commitment to truly transformative cooperation.
Because the truth is: the gender–biodiversity nexus is not a gap to be filled—it’s a strength to be centred.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position or opinions of the CBD Women’s Caucus.
