Briefly
SPOTLIGHT ON GENDER AND CONSERVATION
Efforts to diversify shark science... Elasmobranch science has long been a male- dominated field, and women belonging to marginalized groups, including people of colour, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people of differing abilities, face heightened obstacles in this field. To break downsome of the bar- riers, a team of four young women came to- gether in 2020 to create Minorities in Shark Sciences (MISS). They advocate diversity and inclusion, encourage women of colour to contribute knowledge, and endeavour to create an equitable path to shark science. The MISS team are offering courses to edu- cate the public about sharks, skates and rays, including the threats they face and conservation efforts to protect them. Courses are available in multiple languages, and in- clude video lessons, activities, quizzes and action items. Source: Public Broadcasting Service (2021)
pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/shark-week- marine-science-diversity
.. . and elevate women’s voices in climate science For too long, the foremost scientific body on global warming has overlooked the contributions of women scientists and the unique impact of climate change on the planet’sc. 3.8 billion women, but now the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is looking to change this. The Panel has vowed to diversify its sources of informa- tion, which could help understand how glo- balwarming is affecting women, particularly those in frontline communities. In February 2020, the IPCC adopted a policy for gender equality and inclusion and a plan for how to achieve its objectives. This includes striving for gender-balanced panels and organizing regular gender diversity training formeeting chairs and facilitators. The IPCCdepends on scientists to volunteer their time to author its reports. Although the number of women authors has increased from 3% to just over 30%since thelate 1980s, this is still not representative. One barrier is that women globally remain underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering and math- ematics fields, which limits the pool from which IPCC can draw authors. Source: E&E News (2021)
eenews.net/ articles/ipcc-aims-to-elevate-womens- voices-in-climate-science
Policies need to reflect links between gender and biodiversity crisis The conservation community needs to raise its efforts to tackle gender inequality, argue members of the IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy Specialist Group on Gender. In 2020, the researchers analysed the motions to be tabled at the IUCN World Conservation Congress, to examine to what extent the motion process would enable IUCN mem- bers to debate and vote on a range of biodiversity policy developments that had meaningfully considered the connections between conservation and gender equality. They hoped to uncover a critical mass of motions with a genuine gender element, and to connect these motions’ co-sponsors so they could advocate for each other’s motions at an event during Congress in Marseille. But this idea ended long before the Congress was postponed to September 2021, because only few such motions ex- isted. This matters because conservation ac- tors and interventions need to be current, relevant, and able to build allies with other sectors. When gender equality and equity, and the health and rights of girls and wo- men, are considered properly, conservation is both more equitable and more effective. Source: IUCN (2021)
iucn.org/crossroads- blog/202105/gender-linked-biodiversity- and-climate-crises-when-will-our- policies-reflect
Guatemala advances gender inclusion in Selva Maya protected areas Through the Selva Maya Natural Resources Protection Project, a toolbox has been de- veloped to ensure local people have a voice and can participate in the planning and management of protected areas. The process resulted in a document that consid- ers the rights of Indigenous peoples, local communities and women to access, manage and enjoy benefits deriving from the natural areas they live in and conserve. This guiding document is designed to make management plans an instrument in which the interests andneeds ofwomen,youth andmenare equi- tably reflected, with mutual commitments to responsible and sustainablemanagement. The guide has gender-sensitive and/or gender- transformative actions, and if properly imple- mented, it will support large-impact actions. Source: IUCN (2021)
iucn.org/news/ mexico-central-america-and-caribbean/ 202106/guatemala-advances-gender- inclusion-selva-maya-protected-areas
Toward gender-responsive ecosystem-based adaptation Climate change and the biodiversity crisis require actions that build the long-term re- silience of societies, ecosystems and econ- omies. Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) uses natural systems to build the resilience of ecosystems and the communities that depend on them, providing an opportunity to apply a gender-responsive approach. A new report, Toward Gender-Responsive Eco- system-Based Adaptation: Why It’s Needed and How to Get There, points to the impor- tance of using a gender-responsive approach. It describes key building blocks for effective and gender-just EbA, includes practical ex- amples, and can help EbA practitioners and policy-makers in governments, research in- stitutions, businesses and civil society. Source: International Institute for Sustainable Development (2021)
iisd.org/ publications/toward-gender-responsive-EbA
Traditional leaders in Zambia shift gender norms Across much of Africa, land is allocated and inherited through customary practices rooted in kinship. In Zambia, many ethnic groups follow a matrilineal system, where women own land and pass it down the maternal line. But ownership does not always translate into access, use and control of land, because gender norms underminewomen’s decision- making power. Traditionally, men have au- thority over household resources, including land. In Zambia’s customary systems chiefs andtheiradvisors,knownasindunas,andvil- lage headpersons allocate land. These leaders are usually men, and they influence whether norms and practices persist. Recognizing this, the USAID-funded Integrated Land and Resource Governance Programme piloted an approach to engage traditional leaders in shifting harmful gender
norms.Ninety-six indunas and village headpersons fromseven chiefdoms participated in a year-long dia- logue series, resulting in steps to shift norms that hinderwomen’s land rights. In five chief- doms, indunas facilitated discussions about harmful traditions, such as sending divorcees andwidows away fromvillages. These forums led many women to bring their cases to the chief’s attention. In four chiefdoms, indunas drafted by-laws supporting women’sland rights and banning property grabbing. Source: International Institute for Environment and Development (2021)
iied.org/traditional-leaders-zambia-shift- gender-norms-strengthen-womens- land-rights
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Oryx, 2021, 55(6), 803–808 © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605321001356
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