​​​​​​​Global Workshop in Nairobi Tackles Gender Gaps in Protecting Drylands

Nairobi, Kenya, 4th September 2024 – The first day of the global training workshop on gender mainstreaming in dryland management has kicked off in Nairobi, with participants from 11 countries engaging in discussions on advancing gender-responsive actions within the Global Environment Facility (GEF) 7 Dryland Sustainable Landscapes Impact Program (DSL-IP). Organised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT), the workshop focuses on integrating gender considerations into sustainable land management practices.

Understanding Gender Mainstreaming in Dryland Management

Gender mainstreaming involves integrating gender perspectives into all levels of project planning, implementation, and evaluation to improve public policy quality and ensure more efficient use of resources. In dryland management, where women are disproportionately affected by climate change, gender mainstreaming is critical. It recognises the different levels of access and authority that men and women have over resources and decision-making processes, ensuring that both genders can contribute equally to sustainable land use and conservation.

Mamo Boru Mamo, Director General of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) in Kenya, emphasised: “There is need to establish a deliberate effort on mainstreaming and integrating gender into our projects, programs, and policies. Lack of awareness, inadequate commitment by decision-makers, and inadequate access to gender awareness has for a long time hampered gender mainstreaming in various projects. In order to enhance gender mainstreaming, it is important to establish social support structures at the community level, have gender information management systems, implement deliberate actions to empower women, as well as ensure women participate in decision-making.”

Fritjof Boerstler, Senior Natural Resources Officer of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) and DSL-IP global coordinator stressed that "the ambitious objective and targets of the DSL-IP can not be achieved without addressing the gender gaps through integration. Therefore, the programme integrated gender from the implementation start as one of the programme’s three communities of practices (CoPs) and hence an integral part of its delivery. It is not enough to simply refine separate gender action plans for the country projects’ implementation but to integrate the plan into the project components, activities, and results framework. Based on the DSL-IP experience, a call to action for future GEF programmes is to consider this integration right from the project design phase.” 

Olivier Habimana, Regional Programme Delivery Manager, Multilateral Finance at IUCN, representing the IUCN Kenya Country Representative, Innocent Kabenga, stated: “It is essential that we understand how to mainstream gender-responsive actions effectively in our programmes. Today’s discussions have highlighted the need for a more systematic approach to integrating gender from the planning stage and throughout project implementation. This workshop allows us to strengthen our strategies to ensure that gender equity is not just an aspiration but a practical reality in managing our dryland ecosystems.”

Why Gender Mainstreaming Matters

Integrating gender into environmental projects enhances the effectiveness and sustainability of these initiatives. It ensures that the needs and contributions of both men and women are recognised and addressed, leading to more equitable and inclusive outcomes. During the workshop, participants discussed the need for practical tools such as gender information management systems, which could include gender desks within organisations, and the development of clear action plans to empower women and ensure their participation in rangeland management.

The workshop will continue over the next two days, with sessions aimed at learning from experiences on gender-responsive integrated land use planning, refining gender action plans, and developing elements for a global gender strategy for the DSL-IP. IUCN reaffirmed its commitment to facilitating these discussions, stating: “We look forward to the continued exchange of knowledge and ideas to drive meaningful progress in mainstreaming gender across dryland management initiatives.”