Transformative biodiversity conservation: Enabling Indigenous and Afro-descendent women-led actions

Although the partner countries recognise the role and knowledge of indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples (IPs/ADPs) in climate and biodiversity policy, there is still a lack of nature conservation approaches that are community-led and guarantee people’s rights. The project places the worldviews of IPs/ADPs at the centre of biodiversity conservation and promotes a shift in policy and practice. It strengthens the leadership of IPs/ADPs women through participatory co-creation and supports rights-based, gender-transformative and intergenerational approaches. Participants exchange local conservation knowledge, build a network of women changemakers supporting the agency of IP/ADP women and piloting of IP/ADP worldview-based conservation actions. The project scales up successful approaches to drive a broader shift towards gender-responsive, rights-based conservation led by IPs/ADPs to address the biodiversity and climate crises.