Gender is the Key to a Healthy Planet and People: Reflections from the Biodiversity-Health Press Conference at SBSTTA-27

Nov 19, 2025 | Alejandra Duarte
Women4Biodiversity
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Traditional health systems, rooted in centuries of empirical knowledge, reveal the interdependence between ecosystems and human health. However, women’s ecological and health-related knowledge has often been marginalised and overlooked in scientific and policy spaces. Evidence shows that policies and monitoring are more effective when they integrate diverse knowledge systems, particularly those of Indigenous and local women, whose leadership connects ecological, cultural, and health dimensions. As primary providers of food, water, and medicine, rural and Indigenous women possess extensive expertise in resource management, medicinal plants, and community health, making their participation essential in biodiversity and health governance.

COP16 Decision 16/19 adopted the Global Action Plan on Biodiversity and Health, to promote holistic, cross-sectoral, and rights-based approaches aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF). The decision highlights the importance of equity and inclusive participation in achieving co-benefits for all stakeholders, including people, animals, plants, and ecosystems. A gender-responsive implementation is crucial to address power imbalances and the persistent exclusion of women and Indigenous Peoples from data systems, monitoring, and policy processes.