BY NOXOLO DLAMINI
PIGGS PEAK– Eswatini will join Costa Rica in co-leading an international discussion on gender-based violence (GBV) in biodiversity action at the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity’s COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia, on Thursday, October 22, 2026.
The side event, titled “Protect People, Protect Nature: Addressing GBV in Biodiversity Action and Implementing GPA Objective 1.5”* will focus on protecting women from violence and discrimination and strengthening their participation in environmental decision-making.
Mbali Mabuza, Project Manager at the Eswatini National Trust Commission (ENTC), is scheduled to share field experiences and participate in a roundtable exploring how good practices can inform policies and institutions.
The event will take place at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Pavilion, Forum Room A, from 1pm to 2.15pm Eswatini time.
Women play vital roles in protecting natural resources, yet harassment, intimidation, discrimination and violence can threaten their safety and restrict their participation in environmental work.
An IUCN briefing shared ahead of the event found that only nine of the 104 National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans analysed explicitly linked GBV with biodiversity action, highlighting a gap in addressing gender-based violence within conservation planning.
Participants will discuss how prevention and response measures can be integrated into biodiversity strategies, protected areas, conservation employment, project safeguards and financing.
The discussions will focus on Objective 1.5 of the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Gender Plan of Action, which calls for identifying, preventing, eliminating and responding to gender-based discrimination and violence linked to biodiversity, including protecting women environmental defenders and park rangers.
Supported by IUCN, its Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Convention on Biological Diversity Women’s Caucus, the event will bring together practitioners, policymakers and women’s rights advocates.
Eswatini’s co-leadership with Costa Rica places the country in a global discussion on ensuring that women can contribute to biodiversity protection safely and without discrimination.
#Eswatini #COP17 #ENTC #GenderBasedViolence #Biodiversity #WomenEnvironmentalDefenders #GenderEquality #ProtectPeopleProtectNature
(Courtesy Pic)
