Exchange for women park rangers of Costa Rica: a space of empowerment in biodiversity and climate action

Results    

With the participation of 30 women park rangers, main challenges and first steps were identified for the design of a series of measures that address inequalities and improve the specialized work of female park rangers, as well as the effective participation and access to information and use of biodiversity by women, according to target 23 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).

Event responds to GIZ's commitment  

Costa Rica is a leading country recognized globally for its efforts in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and proposed, during the negotiations for GBF, Target 23 that emphasizes the role of women and girls.

In 2022, the Costa Rican delegation to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) undertook, with the support of the GIZ project ACCION Clima, the task of reviewing and improving the proposal of the GBF Gender Action Plan and now has the challenge of taking these commitments from agreement to action, promoting the development of synergies and capacities for the participation of women in decision-making, policy formulation, access to land and natural resources, and the strengthening of full and equitable and informed leadership.  

"On behalf of the German Development Cooperation GIZ, we are committed to contributing to the strengthening of women's capacities, with measures to create knowledge and strengthen the social and institutional conditions that reinforce the protection and sustainable use of biodiversity in the long term. GIZ understands that, to translate the global agreement into action, it is key to understand the contributions and challenges from the perspective of women who work with biodiversity to promote actions that address a gender-transformative approach," said Soeren Kirstein, coordinator of the ACCION Clima project.

As part of MINAE and GIZ’s joint effort, other meetings in more remote territories are being planned with the aim of integrating the vision of more park rangers and women leaders of local communities that participate in the management of the sustainable use of biodiversity.

Vision of the Costa Rican government

Aware of the importance of encouraging the participation of women in the sector, the Minister of Environment, Mr. Franz Tattenbach, assured that his portfolio will be more involved in gender and biodiversity issues to promote conservation.  

This commitment was joined by the executive president of the National Institute for Women (INAMU), Ms. Adilia Caravaca, who highlighted her interest in linking the institution's climate agenda with biodiversity work and supporting future cooperation.