Turning the Tide in Marine Conservation – The Women Leaders Forum of the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security

Turning the Tide in Marine Conservation – The Women Leaders Forum of the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security*

*An article by CTI-CFF Regional Secretariat and Rili Djohani, Executive Director of Coral Triangle Center/CTC in supporting the conduct of CTI-CFF Side Event at UN Ocean Conference on SDG14, 6 June 2017, UNHQ, New York “The Coral Triangle – Partnerships to Achieve SDG14 (and more!!!) in the World’s Epicentre of Marine Biodiversity”

Women’s relationship with the ocean is shaped by their unique knowledge, solutions, and interactions with its natural resources. While men are away at sea, women play a crucial role in marine environments and fisheries economies, particularly in small-scale and artisanal fisheries. They perform pre-harvesting and post-harvesting tasks such as maintaining equipment, processing, and marketing fish. Additionally, herbs and medicinal plants valued for domestic use are primarily collected by women. Their activities, both paid and unpaid, managing sea resources from household to community levels, are largely undervalued and unnoticed. Several international commitments, such as the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development in 1920 and the Declaration of World Food Security in 1996, have long recognized women as environmental stewards and addressed the importance of their full participation in sustainable development.

Despite their reliance on marine resources and representing half of the total working population worldwide in the seafood industry, gender equality is still poorly represented in natural resource management and conservation decision-making. To recognize women’s achievements and leadership, the six countries of the Coral Triangle Region – Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste – launched the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) Women Leaders Forum in 2014. The forum serves as a platform to emphasize the role of women leaders in protecting and sustaining the global centre of marine biodiversity and supports the development of gender-inclusive conservation strategies aligned with CTI-CFF’s Regional Plan of Action goals.

Gender Equity Marks Success of Marine Conservation

Programs and projects that don’t factor in gender risk being inappropriate or inaccessible for large portions of target communities, potentially amplifying social inequalities. The FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (FAO REU), with support from the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), convened a high-level conference to promote partnerships and joint learning for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030. Women play a robust role in agriculture and food security, with a labour force participation rate of 43% in the sector.

Studies have shown that the improved societal status of women accounted for nearly half of the global reduction in hunger between 1970 and 1995. Progress in women’s access to education alone contributed to a 43% gain in food security — comparable to gains from increased food availability (26%) and health advances (19%) combined. Additionally, cultural gender roles are a crucial consideration for marine conservation. SDG Goal 14 (Life Below Water) and protection of marine ecosystems can only be fully achieved if gender-sensitive conservation and development policies are prioritized across all CTI-CFF initiatives.

The Women Leaders Forum: A Model for Gender Integration

During its 10th Senior Officials Meeting and 5th Ministerial Meeting in Manado, Indonesia, in May 2014, the CTI-CFF encouraged Coral Triangle countries to actively engage women and girls in achieving Regional and National Plans of Action goals. Through the Women Leaders Forum, the CTI-CFF promotes gender integration and documents women’s contributions as a model for other initiatives.

Supported by CTI-CFF development partners, including USAID, the US Department of the Interior, Coral Triangle Center (CTC), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), WWF, ADB, and Conservation International, the Women Leaders Forum has organized numerous regional and national activities, establishing itself as a leading network of women leaders working toward sustainable marine, coastal, and fisheries management in the Coral Triangle.

The Forum serves as a peer learning network for women in leadership, collects and shares tools and best practices for integrating gender principles in marine conservation projects, and identifies and invests in women conservationists to promote regional cooperation through meetings, conferences, and training programs.

The Coral Triangle is home to more coral reef species than anywhere else on Earth. Six out of the world’s seven species of marine turtles thrive here, along with over 22 species of marine mammals and nearly 3,000 species of fish. Approximately 130 million people living in coastal areas rely directly on these rich marine resources. A gender-responsive approach acknowledges the different knowledge and activities contributed by women, proving more effective in achieving marine conservation goals.

CTI-CFF Women Leaders’ Forum Functions As:

• A peer-learning network for women who are playing key leadership roles in sustaining the marine resources of the Coral Triangle region.
• Recognizes the achievement of grassroots women leaders championing marine conservation in the six Coral Triangle countries.
• Serves as a platform to build the capacity of women from the Coral Triangle to take leadership roles in preserving and sustaining the region’s unique marine and coastal resources.