Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) could help countries meet global mitigation targets by providing financial incentives to preserve important habitats while empowering local communities, improving forest governance, and improving livelihood opportunities. Recently, donors and advocates for gender equality in the environment sector have been working to ensure that REDD+ frameworks also protect women’s rights and interests and empower women as leaders and agents of change. Notable strides have been made, including UN decisions to mandate “gender considerations” in climate change negotiations, USAID’s interventions to prioritize women’s empowerment and gender equality, and IUCN’s and others’ efforts to integrate gender in REDD+ processes at multiple levels.
This month, USAID and IUCN, in collaboration with Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), the REDD+ Social and Environmental Standards (SES) initiative, and the UN-REDD Program, will host a workshop on Gender and REDD+ with key stakeholders from more than 20 countries.
