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Gender Equality in Blue Carbon Ecosystems: A Literature Review

Authors
Diana E. Lopez, Anne Karam, Whitney Yadao-Evans
Publication year
June 2024

This literature review analyses how gender is understood and advanced in conservation practice, in general, and in Blue Carbon Ecosystems (BCE), in particular. It identifies knowledge gaps, trends and opportunities based on a review of academic and grey literature, and critically looks at how conservation and development are working on generating a positive impact for women and gender equality.

Key questions include: 

  1. What are the thematic gaps in relation to gender and conservation of BCEs? What we don’t know/hasn’t been done yet in the sector, which questions need to be asked, what should be the focus of future projects, how and who should intervene and where? 
  2. What approaches do conservation projects use to impact gender dynamics and women’s empowerment? What are the merits of these approaches? How can they be improved? 
  3. Are conservation projects having an impact on gender equality/women’s empowerment? If so, what type of impact has been achieved? Which goals have been met? Are there any key lessons regarding impact? 

The literature review was used to inform the International Blue Carbon Institute workshop to “galvanize global momentum to jump- start a center of thought leadership on the nexus of gender and conservation” in Singapore in June 2024. The workshop convened experts from Conservation International, partner organisations and academic partners to collectively (i) identify priority research questions, (ii) research topics to elucidate the interaction between gender equality and conservation practice, (iii) collectively develop a research agenda, and (iv) lay the foundations of a publication focused on advancing applied research in this area with the express goal of investigating the interaction of gender equality with conservation practice.

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