The gendered impact of biodiversity loss and environmental degradation

The aim of this project is to provide insight on the differential impacts of biodiversity loss and environmental degradation on women. The project should also identify knowledge gaps in extant evidence on gender and biodiversity, identify new evidence to fill the gaps identified, and to develop policy recommendations and potential actions governments and other actors can take to address these issues. -Focusing on key gaps in evidence including the differential impacts of biodiversity loss and environmental degradation on women, including consideration of women in different marginalised groups (including but not limited to women from indigenous communities, lower socioeconomic and deprived backgrounds, women of colour and ethnic minority backgrounds); and barriers to inclusion within the solutions to environmental degradation and biodiversity loss of women, including women in marginalised groups. - Creating policy recommendations that are impactful in tackling these issues. Due to persisting gender inequalities, women and men experience the impacts of environmental degradation and biodiversity loss differently. Heavier reliance on natural resources, differences in the rights and access to land, biological resources and ecosystem services, and gender-based differences and inequalities (or gaps) which stem from cultural norms which tend to favour men, mean that the impacts of biodiversity loss are felt more acutely by women. This is particularly true of women from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds who face multiple inequalities exacerbating effects on health and livelihoods. However, the existing literature on the gendered impacts of environmental degradation for both developed and developing countries focuses largely on the links between gender and climate change. There is a lack of evidence addressing the links between gender and biodiversity loss/environmental degradation across a range of topics, including differential outcomes and the inclusion of women and other marginalised groups in developing solutions. It is crucial for policy makers to better understand how their domestic and international actions and policies can exacerbate these unequal impacts in their own and developing countries. To better understand the current body of evidence and ensure this is mainstreamed into our international negotiations and policy at multilateral fora, DEFRA is looking to fund a report reviewing the existing evidence (synthesising it and identifying knowledge gaps), source new evidence to address the gaps identified and propose policy recommendations and potential actions for government policymakers and other actors to address gender inequalities impacting on, and resulting from biodiversity loss and environmental degradation. The output of this project will be presented to Parties at various international fora, including the G7 in support of discussions on gender equality, and to provide a basis to stimulate further research.