{"id":162729,"date":"2024-03-07T15:07:12","date_gmt":"2024-03-07T14:07:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iucn.nl\/?p=162729"},"modified":"2024-03-07T15:16:11","modified_gmt":"2024-03-07T14:16:11","slug":"international-womens-day-we-have-to-walk-the-talk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iucn.nl\/en\/story\/international-womens-day-we-have-to-walk-the-talk\/","title":{"rendered":"International Women\u2019s Day: \u2018We have to walk the talk\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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With over three decades of experience in conservation and sustainable development, Dr. Grethel Aguilar was appointed as Director General of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in October 2023. She has long been engaged in the championing of gender equality in conservation. In the light of International Women\u2019s Day<\/a>, IUCN NL spoke with Dr. Aguilar about her ingrained passion for gender equality and IUCN\u2019s progress and ambitions in investing in the inclusion and leadership of women in all their diversity. \u2018We have to walk the talk.\u2019<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Header photo: Dr. Grethel Aguilar (c) IUCN<\/mark><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Grethel Aguilar does not see her continued drive for equality across the globe as something she has chosen: \u2018It\u2019s not just something that I do, it\u2019s part of who I am, especially as a woman. I\u2019ve always thought that the diversity of people that exist in the world is what makes us beautiful as a civilisation. If we do not respect those differences, we will never be able to reach our targets, for conservation but also for human well-being.\u2019 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Representing women<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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This value is what drove Aguilar to study law. \u2018My first job was with Indigenous peoples, in a part of Costa Rica called Talamanca. I had just graduated and thought I was going to help them to defend their rights. But instead, they gave me much more than I could have ever given them. They showed me the need to live as one with nature, in ways that I had never even imagined.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u2018As much as we want to believe that we are progressing, we are definitely not yet where we need to be in terms of equality.’<\/p>\n<\/div>Grethel Aguilar, Director General IUCN<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Throughout her career, Aguilar has seen the diverse challenges that women all around the world have to confront. \u2018As much as we want to believe that we are progressing, we are definitely not yet where we need to be in terms of equality. But instead of making me sad, it actually gives me a lot of motivation to keep pushing and supporting other women, especially from the position that I am now in. I have the responsibility to do things well so that other women on this planet feel proud and see the possibilities for them. I also must ensure, with my actions, that women get a seat at the table and that their voices are heard.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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About Dr. Grethel Aguilar<\/h2><\/div>\n

Dr. Grethel Aguilar, born in Costa Rica, assumed office as Director General of IUCN in October 2023. Aguilar has over thirty years of experience in conservation and sustainable development, having worked extensively on developing and applying environmental law and policy in collaboration with governments and civil society. In particular, she is deeply passionate about the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities and has pushed for the inclusion of their knowledge and experience in mainstream conservation policy.<\/p>\n

Through her work in field projects, Aguilar has helped communities access clean water, advocated environmental justice, assisted Indigenous peoples in obtaining rights to their natural resources, and championed gender equality in environmental governance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n Learn more about Dr. Grethel Aguilar\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n
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Advancing gender equality in conservation<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Although the advancement of gender equality has now moved to the core of the conservation and environmental agenda, this has not always been the case. IUCN\u2019s commitment to gender equality started at least 20 years ago, in 2004, when IUCN\u2019s members approved a resolution<\/a> establishing gender equity as a mandate in the strategic activities and themes of IUCN. This was followed in 2018 by IUCN\u2019s gender equality and women\u2019s empowerment policy. \u2018Since then, we have taken actions towards making gender equality an integral part of the IUCN Programme and how we work around the globe,\u2019 Aguilar explains. \u2018But it\u2019s not just about the number of women that work for your organisation, it\u2019s about what positions they hold and whether their contributions are empowered and recognised.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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This is why Aguilar sees her appointment as Director General last October as a pivotal moment: \u2018I am very proud to have been selected, I\u2019m from Costa Rica, and the president of IUCN \u2013 Razan Al Mubarak \u2013 is from West Asia. We are both from very different parts of the world, and I\u2019m sure that IUCN will progress a lot with the two of us. With 2 women in IUCN\u2019s highest positions, this is a good moment in our history,\u2019 Aguilar says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Although she has seen improvements and changes over the course of her career, Aguilar underlines that we still have a long way to go: \u2018We have won some claims and made some progress, but there is definitely a lot to do still.\u2019 She points out the prediction from the World Economic Forum that states that the global gender gap is expected to close as late as 2154 [1]<\/sup><\/a>Source: https:\/\/www.weforum.org\/publications\/global-gender-gap-report-2023\/in-full\/benchmarking-gender-gaps-2023\/<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span>