Annex 4: Principles for inclusive, gender responsive and locally-led biodiversity action 

Preamble

These principles were developed during the Wilton Park conference on ‘Transformative change for global biodiversity: the role of gender equality and social inclusion’ hosted by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in September 2024.  They draw on the Principles for Locally Led Adaptation[1] – developed under the auspices of the Global Commission on Adaptation – and on the Shandia Principles[2]  – developed by the Global Alliance of Territorial Communities – as well as the outcomes of the discussions during the conference. They are intended to provide a guiding framework to help governments, donors, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders support and scale up transformative action to conserve, restore and sustainably use and manage biodiversity in ways that are locally-led, gender-responsive[3] – in line with the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity Gender Plan of Action – and inclusive of a wide diversity of stakeholders including women, youth, children, people living with disabilities, displaced people, Indigenous Peoples and other marginalised ethnic groups and local communities who are often at the frontlines of biodiversity action yet least empowered to effect change and face system barriers and discrimination.   Evidence[4] shows that these approaches are, ultimately, more effective for biodiversity as well as being more socially just.

Recognise and respect the rights, knowledge and capabilities of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, especially women and youth

Recognise, acknowledge and advance the rights, knowledge and capabilities of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, especially women and youth as essential partners for reversing biodiversity loss, combating climate change, and achieving sustainable development.  Accept the universality of human rights while at the same time recognizing the specific characteristics and needs within those communities of women and girls, youth and people with disabilities. Adopt policies and procedures to ensure that rights are respected, protected and fulfilled. Provide space for IPs and LCs, especially women and youth, to articulate their own visions and tell their stories. Respect their voice and agency, self-determined priorities, strategies and decision-making processes and align programming with these priorities, building on IPs’ and LCs’ own institutions and systems for implementation of activities. 

Devolve decision making to, and build capacity at, the appropriate local level 

Ensure that local institutions, including Indigenous Peoples and local communities have increased decision-making power over how biodiversity protection, restoration and sustainable use interventions are defined, prioritised, designed and implemented; how progress is monitored, and how success is evaluated. Improve the capabilities, leadership and capacity of local institutions and organisations, particularly those led by women and other underrepresented groups, to ensure they have the resources, decision-making power, and autonomy to lead generate solutions, and facilitate and manage impactful biodiversity initiatives over the long term and reduce dependence on project-based funding. 

Recognise and address structural  and intersectional inequalities faced by women, youth, children, disabled, displaced, Indigenous Peoples and marginalised ethnic groups

Recognise and address the intersectional gender-based, racial and other inequalities that are often the root causes of social, economic and political inequality and vulnerability and seek to integrate these at the core of biodiversity action. This includes by actively creating and sustaining environments and mechanisms for full, equitable, inclusive, effective and gender-responsive participation, leadership and decision-making, and ensuring equitable access to resources and benefits arising from biodiversity action. 

Encourage flexible, adaptive biodiversity programming through the provision of patient, flexible, predictable and accessible funding

Encourage flexible, adaptive, and locally-driven management of biodiversity programming to address and respond to the inherent uncertainty of biodiversity under a changing climate, and to recognise and adapt to diverse ecological and cultural contexts. Make the processes of financing, designing, and delivering gender-responsive, locally led programmes more streamlined, simple and transparent, ensuring mutual accountability between local stakeholders and donors or intermediaries, ensuring that decision-making power is shared and transparent across all levels. This requires adequate, direct, transparent, gender-responsive funding – including core support – for long-term biodiversity protection, restoration and sustainable management.  Provide funding with longer term, more predictable funding horizons. Funders and intermediaries should be prepared and supported to hold risk, take a holistic and cross-sectoral approach, and invest in building capacity at all levels. 

Utilise scientific, local and traditional knowledge to fully understand biodiversity risks and opportunities, and learn from experience

Build a robust understanding of biodiversity risks, opportunities, uncertainties and definitions of success through a combination of different forms and sources of knowledge. Recognise and protect the leadership of women from Indigenous Peoples and local communities in safeguarding intergenerational traditional or ancestral knowledge that sustains biodiversity. Prioritise the protection, intergenerational transfer and application of this knowledge for future use to enable societal and ecological resilience under a planetary crisis. Recognise, account for and report local actions and achievements as contributions to formal national and international targets and commitments and share experience to inspire others. Share these experiences widely to inspire others and amplify the voices of local leaders who are driving transformative biodiversity action.

Promote collaborative and coherent action and investment

Encourage inclusive collaboration between stakeholders across sectors, initiatives and levels to ensure that different initiatives and different sources of funding support each other. Help leverage additional resources and avoid duplication. Prioritize partnerships that amplify the leadership of local actors, particularly women and underrepresented groups, and ensure that their priorities and knowledge drive collective action to enhance efficiencies and good practice. States should adopt a co-ordinated “whole of government” approach, across the environmental challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change and desertification, recognising these are not distinct challenges at a community level. In addition, states’ approach to biodiversity should engage with non-environmental policy which has the potential to enhance or undermine environmental and human rights commitments such as agriculture, trade and investment. 

Actively prevent, or mitigate the risk of, harm 

Go beyond harm prevention by actively promoting the well-being and resilience of local actors, especially women and youth. Create enabling environments that support their leadership and agency. This includes taking proactive actions to protect local stakeholders – including environmental human rights defenders – from harm (including gender-based violence and actions which undermine their agency or cause further marginalization), rather than reacting to problems once they have arisen.

Georgia Patt

Wilton Park | October 2024

[1] https://www.iied.org/principles-for-locally-led-adaptation

[2] https://globalalliance.me/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Shandia-Brochure.pdf

[3] ‘Refers to a policy or program which fulfils two basic criteria: a) gender norms, roles, and relations are considered and b) measures are taken to actively reduce the harmful effects of gender norms, roles, and relations—including gender inequality.’ GPE and UNGEI (2017) Guidance for developing gender responsive education sector plans, p4. 2018-02-gpe-guidance-gender-responsive-esp.pdf (globalpartnership.org).

[4] See, for example, Lucas, B et al (20024) Transformative change for global biodiversity: the role of gender equality and social inclusion. Background notes for Wilton Park conference WP3425, September 2024. Transformative Change for Global Biodiversity: the Role of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion. Background Notes for the Wilton Park Conference, September 2024 (ids.ac.uk)

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