COP16: Empowering women environmental defenders

At the COP16 in Cali, Indigenous women environmental defenders and others reflected on the threats women encounter in their territories and the need to promote differentiated mechanisms for the protection of women defenders. ‘Organisations working on protecting defenders must use gender-sensitive tools that protect women and honour their value,’ reflects expert environmental justice Liliana Jáuregui.

This article was originally published on the website of our Peruvian partner Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental (SPDA). All photos on this page: © Diego Coll / SPDA

Women defenders in the Amazon region

Eighty-five percent of the 196 murders of environmental defenders recorded internationally in 2023 occurred in Latin America, according to Global Witness’ latest report on the situation of human rights defenders worldwide. However, the number of people killed for defending their territories – and their biodiversity – could be higher. Human rights defenders carry out crucial work for the protection of Amazonian territories, but their lives are in constant danger. This risk is greater for women, who are more vulnerable due to their status as defenders and women.

Side event at the COP16

On 23 October, the side event “Empowering women environmental defenders: gendered territorial strategies from Latin America relevant to the monitoring of the Global Biodiversity Framework” sought dialogue on the disproportionate impact of biodiversity loss on women in local communities, and addressed the importance of gender indicators for equitable accountability.

Indigenous women leaders and experts from Peru, Guatemala, Ecuador and Argentina shared their experiences, as well as the challenges and threats faced by women defending nature and the rights of their communities.

‘In the Indigenous territories, we learn from our grandfathers and grandmothers, who teach us the value and importance of all diversity,’ said Josefina Tunki, an Indigenous leader from Ecuador. This is why their organisations are promoting the protection of their territories and the resources found there, despite the threats they face for this work, she stated.

Need for differentiated protection measures

‘Violence against women in Peru is very strong,’ said Silvana Baldovino, director of the Biodiversity and Indigenous Peoples Programme of the SPDA. Baldovino indicated that ‘differentiated measures are needed’ for the protection of women environmental defenders.

‘We have to identify mechanisms to protect our women defenders, regional and differentiated mechanisms for women, because the role of women in food security is becoming more and more critical. We have to include this in the indicators of climate finance,’ continued Baldovino.

‘By gathering data with both gender and cultural sensitivity, we aim to strengthen protection mechanisms and support women’s rights to information, participation and justice.’

• Liliana Jáuregui, senior expert environmental justice at IUCN NL

Gender perspective in frameworks’ indicators

Liliana Jáuregui, senior expert environmental justice at IUCN NL, also participated in the event, highlighting the various threats faced by women human rights defenders in different territories, and emphasised the importance of the various frameworks and tools that contribute to combating these threats. ‘By gathering data with both gender and cultural sensitivity, we aim to strengthen protection mechanisms and support women’s rights to information, participation and justice,’ emphasised Jáuregui.

In the same vein, Amelia Arreguin, coordinator of the CBD Women’s Caucus, said that there is still an opportunity to include a gender perspective in climate finance indicators, because ‘even though there are indicators being adopted, there is room for improvement.’

Global Biodiversity Framework

In this context of constant threats to defenders of the environment and territory, especially women defenders, the ratification and fulfilment by countries of international commitments such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Escazú Agreement is all the more urgent. These commitments seek to safeguard respect for human rights, as well as to promote a safe environment for human rights defenders, especially Indigenous peoples and local communities.

The event was organised by the Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (FARN), IUCN NL, IUCN SUR, IUCN ORMACC, SPDA, Fundación Plurales, CBD Women’s Caucus, ECO Maxei and the Encuentro de Juventudes por Escazú (ENJUVES).

PIDDA: inclusive protection of environmental defenders

SPDA and IUCN NL, together with Federación Nativa del Río Madre de Dios y Afluentes (FENAMAD) and Comité de Gestión de la Reserva Nacional Tambopata (CDG), strengthen the work of environmental defenders, especially women and youth, in Madre de Dios in Peru. We do this, among other things, by strengthening the country’s protection system for environmental rights defenders, applying a gender and intercultural approach. PIDDA is supported by the French Development Agency (AFD).