Barranquilla, September 6, 2024 – After two days of a rich agenda and discussion in Barranquilla, the 'National Meeting of Women Caregivers of Territory and Life' defined the contributions to the National Biodiversity Action Plan and the participation that women will have in the COP16 to be held in Cali between October 21 and November 1.
““Your presence opens our eyes, the strength of life from women, not only because they are caregivers, but because they are warriors of life, because they also have a political voice, because they also have the possibility to build in their communities under equal conditions”,, highlighted the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development, Susana Muhamad.
More than 300 women participated in a national meeting to submit their contributions to Colombia's Biodiversity Action Plan and consolidate their participation in COP16.
One of the main conclusions of the meeting was the need for the Biodiversity Action Plan to be more than just a theoretical exercise. The women stressed that the plan must reflect and respect the local and cultural knowledge of the communities.
““It is very important that this National Biodiversity Plan to be presented at COP16 is not a theoretical exercise, just a public policy exercise, but that it reflects what you have said so precisely and forcefully, that it reflects that this country is simultaneously Caribbean, Andean, Pacific, Amazonian, Orinoco, which includes in this corner of South America all the ecosystems of the continent”,stressed the minister.
This event, which brought together networks, organizations of women caregivers, environmental defenders and leaders from all regions of Colombia, was a space for the exchange of knowledge, experiences and proposals focused on the protection of biodiversity and territories. During the conference, emphasis was placed on the fundamental role played by women in the conservation of nature and the regeneration of ecosystems.
The meeting concluded with a call for COP16 to be a historic opportunity to mobilize a global change towards the regeneration of life, Peace with Nature and a conservation model based on environmental justice and gender equity.
The participants elaborated a series of recommendations for the update of the National Biodiversity Action Plan, aligned with Target 23 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which promotes the participation of women and girls in ecosystem conservation.
““We women are the caregivers, we are the ones who give life, we take care of our children and we are also obliged to take care of nature so that they have a very important space in which to live and raise the children they will have in the future. In the natural spaces is our life and that of our children,” said Carmen Mena, leader of the Afromirandela del Cauca Association.
Minister Susana Muhamad underscored the crucial role of women as caretakers and defenders of life and territories, highlighting their leadership capacity.
Women, leaders in the territories
The meeting also gave visibility to women's leadership in biodiversity protection and advocated for political recognition of their contributions. The women emphasized the importance of ensuring that their participation and leadership are included in political decisions and in the implementation of Colombia's environmental commitments.
“This meeting of women is a springboard to make known the problems that each one has in their territory. My expectations for the COP16 is that it is not simply put on paper, but that it becomes a reality and is acted upon,” concluded Maily Guerrero, leader of the Association of Rural Women of Bohórquez - Atlántico.
The event concluded with a call for COP16 to be a turning point to promote a global shift towards the regeneration of life and Peace with Nature actions.
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