Photo credit Aram Saloyan

On October 21, 2026, WEDO joined partners at the UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP17) in Yerevan, Armenia, to celebrate three extraordinary young leaders advancing environmental protection, human rights, and gender justice through the Irene Dankelman Young Ecofeminist Award.

Established in 2024 by WEDO, Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF), IUCN NL, and Both ENDS, the award honors the legacy of Irene Dankelman and recognizes a new generation of changemakers working toward a more just and sustainable planet.

The second edition of the award comes at a critical moment. As governments review progress on the Convention on Biological Diversity's Gender Plan of Action (2023–2030), persistent gaps remain in the recognition, participation, and resourcing of women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, and community leaders who are at the forefront of protecting biodiversity.

The award ceremony, held in the COP17 Green Zone, provided a platform to celebrate this leadership and highlight how gender-just, inclusive, and community-led solutions are already addressing interconnected environmental crises while advancing human rights. Beyond recognition, the award seeks to amplify grassroots solutions and mobilize greater support and resources for those leading this work.

Meet the 2026 Award Winners

Sarah Adongo | Uganda

A lawyer and Legal Officer with Witness Radio Uganda, Sarah works alongside communities facing forced land evictions, with particular attention to the sexual and gender-based violence that often accompanies land dispossession. Through legal advocacy, community organizing, and policy engagement, she supports women to claim their rights, defend their land, and participate meaningfully in decisions affecting their communities.

Yemi Knight | Barbados

Founder and Executive Director of AnchorBridge Environmental, Yemi advances climate justice, equitable access to resources, and inclusive environmental policymaking across the Caribbean. Their advocacy has contributed to reforms improving water access for rural and low-income communities in Barbados, while their research on inclusive disaster planning has helped elevate the rights of LGBTQ+ communities in international climate and human rights discussions.

Monitte Lantas | Philippines

A young Tagbanwa Indigenous leader from Palawan, Monitte works to defend ancestral lands, protect biodiversity, and strengthen Indigenous youth leadership. As President of the local Indigenous youth organization NKKN, she has led mangrove restoration efforts involving more than 2,000 seedlings and supported advocacy that helped secure a 50-year mining moratorium in Palawan.

Each awardee receives a financial prize to support their continued work, alongside an opportunity to share their experiences and priorities with the international biodiversity community.

Honoring Irene's Legacy

For WEDO, this award carries particular significance. Irene Dankelman was a pioneer in advancing the connections between gender equality, environmental sustainability, and human rights. An early contributor to WEDO's work and Chair of our Board for more than a decade, Irene helped shape the global gender and environment movement, including through her contributions to the 1992 Earth Summit and decades of advocacy for women's leadership in environmental decision-making.

Irene believed deeply in the knowledge, leadership, and transformative potential of women and young people. The work of Sarah, Yemi, and Monitte reflects that conviction, demonstrating that lasting environmental solutions emerge when communities have the power and resources to shape their own futures.

As COP17 takes stock of progress toward global biodiversity commitments, their leadership also offers a powerful reminder: gender equality and social justice are not secondary considerations in biodiversity protection. They are essential to its success.

Celebrating these young leaders is one step. Ensuring that they, and the movements and communities they represent, have sustained access to funding, decision-making power, and protection is the work ahead.

Learn more:

• Meet the 2026 award winners and learn more about their work
• In Memoriam: Irene Dankelman (1953–2022)
• From Commitments to Action: WEDO at CBD COP17