Image caption and copyright: Brikko Iyanev Dumas / Women4Biodiversity
This Earth Day, we’re amplifying the voices of two young women deeply committed to protecting our planet, both above and below the water.
In the latest episode of Voices Unveiled, we speak with Sudha Kottillil and Shruthi Kottillil, two sisters in conservation and in real life! They are ecologists from India who have journeyed from working in terrestrial landscapes to focusing on marine ecosystems, particularly the conservation of elasmobranchs such as sharks, skates, and rays.
As members of the Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN) and co-leads of its India Chapter, the Indian Youth Biodiversity Network (IYBN), they are not only researchers but also advocates for stronger youth participation in decision-making spaces and calling for conservation strategies that are both gender-responsive and inclusive of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPs and LCs).
In this episode, they share:
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What ignited their passion for biodiversity
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The role of science, gender, and culture in shaping conservation pathways
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The unique challenges that young ecologists face in environmental policy spaces
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Their reflections on the Sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP16) and what meaningful youth inclusion truly looks like
As we celebrate Earth Day, this conversation is a powerful reminder of how young people, especially young women, are already driving action for biodiversity, climate, and sustainability.
