Women leaders set the course towards COP16 at the National Meeting of Women Caretakers of Territory and Life

On September 4 and 5, Barranquilla witnessed a milestone in the fight for the conservation of biodiversity and the active participation of women in this process. The National Meeting of Women Caretakers of Territory and Life brought together more than 200 women leaders, caregivers and defenders from different regions of Colombia, to establish their positions and contributions to the National Biodiversity Action Plan and their participation as women hosts at COP16.

A space for convergence and recognition

The event focused on making visible and recognizing the fundamental role of rural, indigenous, Afro, black and peasant women in the defense of ecosystems and the care of biodiversity. During the two-day meeting, members of women's networks and organizations that care for life and territories shared their experiences and knowledge to strengthen a national network of women for biodiversity and define priority issues for the COP16 dialogues.

Update of the Biodiversity Action Plan

One of the most significant achievements of the meeting was the consolidation of women's inputs for the update of Colombia's Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP). This update included the mainstreaming of the gender approach in the Plan, in accordance with the gender-specific Target 23 of the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Gender approach to biodiversity conservation

This meeting is part of the #WomenInBiodiversity route, an initiative that seeks to guarantee the participation of women leaders in environmental and territorial management, supporting organizations, movements and associations that defend and care for biodiversity and the territory. In the process of updating the plan, more than 15 virtual and face-to-face meetings have been held, which have made it possible to discuss and learn about the experiences of women in the use and conservation of biodiversity.

This meeting was made possible thanks to the Colombian Ministry of Equality and Equity, the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Knowledge, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Governors of Valle del Cauca and Atlántico, the Mayors of Cali and Barranquilla, together with the Women's Caucus, the secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), UN Women, the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH through the Interface project from the International Climate Initiative (IKI), UNDP and social organizations, collectives and networks of women in all their diversity.

© Fotos by the Interface project, GIZ