Skip to main content

Gender & Restoration

Despite provisions in multilateral environmental agreements to mainstream gender, there is still a gap in awareness, access, and support for women leading conservation and restoration. A gender-responsive approach to ecosystem restoration recognises and values women’s and men’s distinct roles, knowledge, and needs in environmental management. Actively involving women in restoration initiatives ensures benefits from diverse perspectives and traditional ecological knowledge that can enhance the resilience and sustainability of restoration efforts. We have supported documentation of communities of practice that have incorporated gender justice. We hope it will inform policy and advocacy at a global level, including the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF) and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

120

Hectares of land and water restored

4

Types of ecosystems

500

Women supported and engaged

6

Different countries across the world

Restore Her Rights Initiative

We have been advancing gender equality in restoration processes globally since 2021. To give this engagement a bigger push, we have launched the Restore Her Rights Initiative to foster a collaborative space for learning and advocacy around gender-responsive approaches to ecosystem restoration. The Restore Her Rights Initiative aims to empower community-led restoration processes and amplify women’s vital contributions to ecosystem restoration.

In October 2024, during the sixteenth Conference of Parties on the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP16), we launched a compendium of Restore Her Rights case studies that reflected community-led and gender-responsive approaches to ecosystem restoration from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Pacific Islands. These case studies highlighted the impact of women-led restoration initiatives, including improved community health, progress toward food sovereignty, advancing self-determination, and enhanced leadership in decision-making.

Restore Her Rights Initiative is the next step in Women4Biodiversity’s work supporting women-led restoration initiatives. We would love for you to be a part of this transformational change!

For more details or questions: [email protected]

Sign up here

Restore Her Rights: Gender-Responsive Approaches to Ecosystem Restoration – A Global Summary

The Building Resilience and Weaving Gender-Responsive Approaches to Biodiversity Governance Project addressed gaps in gender-responsive restoration beyond forests. Supported by SwedBio, it documented women-led efforts across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, integrating them into policies and commitments. This global summary report showcases these diverse initiatives, highlighting their impact and providing key recommendations for strengthening gender-responsive approaches in biodiversity governance worldwide.

Stories of Resilience

Community Voices

Building Resilience and Weaving Gender-Responsive Approaches to Biodiversity Governance Project

Events

Restore Her Rights Initiative Webinar Series | April 2025 to October 2025

Technical Training Workshop on Integrating the GESI Framework into Ecosystem Restoration | 9 June to 11 June 2025

Past Events

Relevant Publications

Reports

Restoration Site Newsflash