GENDER EQUITY, DISABILITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION
WWF-Australia is committed to promoting gender equity, disability and social inclusion in our people-centred conservation programs as part of our efforts to deliver positive outcomes for people, nature and climate.
At WWF, we understand that conservation programs may affect men and women and those of diverse gender identities differently as a result of the differences in the rights, roles, and responsibilities of each group within their communities. This is also true for people with disability and other groups experiencing marginalisation.
Despite being disproportionately impacted by environmental and economic shocks, women, children, youth, people living with disability and other groups are often marginalised from making decisions about natural resource management, climate change adaptation and other issues that directly impact their daily lives.
That is why we take an inclusive conservation approach in our programs. WWF focuses on supporting the participation, opportunities, access to resources, and realisation of rights for people who experience increased vulnerability and marginalisation because of their social, cultural, economic or other status.
Learn more about inclusive conservation.
"Inclusive conservation starts with inclusive conversations."
What WWF is doing
GEDSI in the Pacific
WWF-Australia's GEDSI Program, developed with WWF-Pacific and local community partners in Solomon Islands, Fiji and Papua New Guinea, seeks to strengthen the voices of people impacted by vulnerability and marginalisation, including women, youth and people with disability.
The program seeks to enhance participation in decision-making and leadership opportunities across community-based conservation, climate change, and marine and coastal resource management programs.
This program is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP), and our corporate partner, John West.
Climate Resilient by Nature
Nature-based solutions are actions that harness the power of nature to protect, manage and/or restore ecosystems in a way that benefits people, nature, and climate.
Climate Resilient by Nature is an Australian Government initiative, in partnership with WWF-Australia, advancing high-integrity, equitable nature-based solutions to climate change in nine countries across the Indo-Pacific.
Women Rangers Environmental Network
Strong women caring on Country play a vital role maintaining not only their cultural heritage but environmental management as well, tackling threats like feral animals, invasive weeds and destructive wildfires.
WWF-Australia has supported the Women Rangers Environmental Network (WREN) program focused on establishing, linking, and expanding hubs extending across Australia to connect nearly 500 women committed to connecting, collaborating and protecting Country.
Community-led sustainable fisheries management
With coastal fisheries under increasing pressure from climate change, unsustainable fishing practices and habitat loss, WWF-Australia in partnership with the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) and our corporate partner John West, have supported innovative, community-led approaches to sustainable fisheries management in Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Fiji for more than 10 years.
People-centred tiger conservation
As we work towards expanding tiger populations and range, we recognise that women in communities living alongside tigers carry a disproportionate burden when it comes to human-tiger coexistence. Women have traditionally been tasked with gathering resources within forests such as fuel wood and other non-timber forest products that expose them to more conflict with tigers.
In the Terai Arc Landscape, India, WWF-Australia is supporting our colleagues at WWF-India to train and develop women's self-help groups. These are community co-operatives that develop alternative livelihoods and sustainable business models for women living in communities adjacent to and within tiger habitat. It allows them to purchase fuel wood and other resources they would gather from forests and reduce their exposure to conflict with tigers. The program supports the agency of women in the community while also improving their financial literacy.