{"id":24002,"date":"2020-06-23T13:25:00","date_gmt":"2020-06-23T12:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iucn.nl\/?p=24002"},"modified":"2021-07-02T14:42:58","modified_gmt":"2021-07-02T13:42:58","slug":"blog-series-addressing-issues-of-gender-and-social-inclusion-in-sustainable-ecosystem-management-in-guyana-part-4-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.iucn.nl\/en\/blog\/blog-series-addressing-issues-of-gender-and-social-inclusion-in-sustainable-ecosystem-management-in-guyana-part-4-2\/","title":{"rendered":"[Blog series] Addressing issues of gender and social inclusion in sustainable ecosystem management in Guyana (Part 4.2)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Header photo by: A.E. Boyer<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Gender equality and women\u2019s empowerment are matters of fundamental human rights and prerequisites to meeting sustainable development goals around the world. This four-part blog series outlines some of the benefits of (part 1<\/a>), barriers to (part 2<\/a>), and best practices and strategies to promote (part 3<\/a>) gender equality in sustainable ecosystem management. This article highlights an important milestone in local stakeholder engagement in Guyana: the first ever Rupununi Indigenous Women\u2019s Conference.<\/h4>\n<\/div>\n\n
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WWF-Guianas, North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB) and South Central Peoples Development Association (SCPDA are local partner organisations in the programme Shared Resources, Joint Solutions<\/a> (SRJS), a strategic partnership between IUCN NL, WWF NL and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This blog focuses on empowering indigenous communities to help ensure gender is thoroughly integrated in sustainable ecosystem management.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Developing a gender policy<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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\u2018An important aspect of our work is capacity building of local and national level partners,\u2019 says Preeya Rampersaud, programme coordinator at WWF-Guianas. \u2018We have focused on creating space to allow for increased participation in decision-making processes for natural resource and environmental governance.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Ms. Immaculata Casimero of the South Rupununi District Council (SRDC) noted that these capacity building trainings, including one on lobby and advocacy skills and another on gender, have inspired action for her and other participants. \u2018From the gender training, the SRDC developed a gender policy. Since then, I have seen more women being involved in the decision-making process, and we have more chances to amplify our voices.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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‘I have seen more women being involved in the decision-making process, and we have more chances to amplify our voices.’<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Jointly developed by SRDC and the South Central Peoples Development Association (SCPDA), the gender policy was the first for any Indigenous Peoples Organization in Guyana. As Rampersaud explains, \u2018For a small, community-based Indigenous organization, this gender policy represents a valuable milestone.\u2019   <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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First ever Indigenous Women\u2019s Conference<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Another significant milestone in local stakeholder engagement in Guyana was the first ever Rupununi Indigenous Women\u2019s Conference in January 2020. The conference was organized by the SCPDA and the North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB), with support from WWF-Guianas, IUCN and Conservation International Guyana.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u2018The conference responded to a need identified by indigenous women involved in SRJS to strengthen opportunities for leadership in environmental decision making and build capacity and skills related to advocacy and public speaking,\u2019 says Rampersaud.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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More than seventy Indigenous women participated in the conference. Ms. Jackie Allicock, Senior Councillor for Surama Village and Chairperson for NRDDB, stated: \u2018I really appreciate the turn out to the conference. I have seen the interest from women in the different communities and organisations represented here. This conference was a good start for us as women since we are being empowered. I would like to see women take up these opportunities that are coming our way and don\u2019t let it go.\u2019<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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