The main goal of the event was to discuss the report of 6 countries on the preservation of biological diversity and to review the gender aspects of this document. Participants of the round table were greeted by: Lira Zholdubaeva, coordinator of the national reporting project, and Umutai Dauletova, coordinator of the gender direction of UNDP.
During the presentation by the State Ecological Inspection and Forest Management Agency (Baktybek Irsaliev, Deputy Head of the Forest Ecosystem Development Department), the main strategic documents for the preservation of biological diversity were presented, and the decisions and challenges currently facing the country were discussed. The issues of integrating gender aspects into the report were reflected by Anna Kirilenko, Executive Director of ED BIOM. It was noted that the necessity of integrating gender issues into strategies and the policies of international national documents is conditioned by resolutions adopted by the parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Currently, an action plan on gender issues has been developed within the framework of the convention, which includes commitments to take gender aspects into account in all activities of the KBR.
Women and men have different life experiences, and due to the differences in gender roles, they can make different contributions to the preservation of biological diversity. In addition, the threats arising from ecosystem degradation are not evenly distributed among different social strata, between women and men. If the social aspect is not taken into account, it is impossible to preserve biological diversity.
The results of a study on women’s access to natural resources were presented by Aslan Kerimbekov, an expert at the “El-Pikir” Public Opinion Research and Forecasting Center. Aslan noted that one of the findings of the study is that men have priority in accessibility to income-generating resources, while women have access to natural resources that generate less or no income. The numerous stereotypes related to the accessibility, use, and preservation of natural resources for women and men were also emphasized.
Representatives of the National Statistics Committee, Gulqumar Abdullaeva mentioned that the NSC is monitoring the collection of gender-disaggregated statistics on a number of indicators, including women’s access to land, forestry, natural resource use, agriculture, and more. This information can be used for integration into the 6-country report.
Madina Karymysheva, head of the prohibitions and traditional knowledge sector at Kyrgyzpatent, highlighted in her report that women are the keepers of traditional knowledge related to household matters, significantly more than men, which indicates that women have a valuable potential in preserving biological diversity through traditional knowledge.
During the round table, a lively discussion took place, resulting in the emphasis on taking the gender component into account in strategies and programs for the preservation of biological diversity, the necessity of conducting research in this area, and supporting local initiatives of women’s groups within local communities.
You can contact Anna Kirilenko with all your questions at annakir7@gmail.com
Videos of the presentations will soon be available at www.biom.kg.
[1] The “Women 2030” program is being implemented in 50 countries around the world. It consists of five women’s organizations and a coalition of gender networks, aiming to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) with consideration for gender factors and climate. The coalition is part of an annual main agreement for partnership on implementing the “Women 2030” SDG agenda with the international cooperation department of the European Commission (DEVCO). www.women2030.org
