Gender Equality at CBD COP17
Advancing Gender Equality through Biodiversity Finance
Gender equality is essential for achieving global biodiversity goals. Women play a critical role in biodiversity conservation and sustainable natural resource management, yet often face barriers to accessing finance, participating in decision-making and benefiting from biodiversity investments.
Gender-responsive biodiversity finance can help address these inequalities by directing resources towards women-led initiatives, strengthening women’s economic empowerment and ensuring that biodiversity finance mechanisms deliver equitable benefits for people and planet.
Through UNDP’s Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN), countries are integrating gender equality into national Biodiversity Finance Plans (BFPs) and developing innovative, gender-responsive finance solutions. This includes supporting women-led enterprises, strengthening women’s participation in biodiversity finance decision-making, and advancing gender-responsive budgeting and financing mechanisms that align with national gender equality priorities.
BIOFIN at CBD COP17
At CBD COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia, BIOFIN is contributing to discussions on how gender equality can accelerate biodiversity action and how financing can support the implementation of national and global gender commitments.
Two key events will highlight these connections:
18 October – Financing Gender Data
As part of the 2nd Gender and Environment Data Conference, UNDP will lead a session exploring how countries can mobilize sustained financing for gender-responsive biodiversity and environmental data. The discussion will draw on country experiences and financing approaches, including how biodiversity finance solutions can contribute to generating evidence on gender equality outcomes.
27 October – Gender Equality as Accelerator: Delivering Inclusive, Effective and Durable Results for Land, Biodiversity and Climate
This official COP17 side event will bring together country representatives and partners to share experiences in translating gender commitments into concrete action. Thailand will share its experience with gender-responsive budgeting, providing an opportunity to highlight broader work through BIOFIN, including engagement with women’s groups in Koh Tao and efforts to integrate gender equality into biodiversity financing.
Gender Events at CBD COP17
Explore the events below, bringing together governments, civil society, international organizations and partners to advance gender equality, women’s leadership and inclusive approaches to implementing the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
UNDP, through its Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN), is supporting efforts to advance gender equality at COP17, alongside partners and country representatives. Through discussions on gender-responsive biodiversity finance, data and national implementation, these events will showcase country experiences, partnerships and practical solutions to support inclusive and effective implementation of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Sunday, 18 October 2026
08:30–18:00
Location: Conference Room 4, Praz, 1st Floor, Blue Zone
2nd Gender & Environment Data Conference
Partners: Women4Biodiversity | UNDP | UN Women | ILC
The conference will bring together policymakers, experts and partners to strengthen gender-responsive biodiversity and environmental data systems, share country experiences and advance implementation of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
UNDP will lead Stream 2: Financing Gender Data (11:30–13:00), exploring national experiences and practical approaches to financing gender data within biodiversity and environmental policy and programming. The session will highlight opportunities for sustained financing, institutional capacity development and the use of gender data to inform more inclusive and effective biodiversity action.
The discussion will feature country perspectives and insights from international financing mechanisms, including BIOFIN and the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
Tuesday, 20 October 2026
13:15
Location: Lastiver – Youth Group Meeting Room
Building Gender-Responsive Biodiversity Data Systems: Addressing the Gender Data Gap and Women’s Participation for Effective Implementation and Monitoring of the KMGBF
Partners: Women4Biodiversity (lead) | UNDP | CBD Women’s Caucus | WEDO | UNEP-WCMC | ILC | IIED | UN Women
The Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework recognizes the importance of a whole-of-society approach, inclusive participation and robust data for effective implementation. However, two interconnected challenges continue to undermine progress: persistent gaps in gender-responsive biodiversity data and the underrepresentation of women in biodiversity monitoring, knowledge generation and data governance.
The event will explore approaches to strengthening gender-responsive data systems and women’s meaningful participation in monitoring and implementing the KMGBF.
Tuesday, 20 October 2026
Morning
Location: Blue Zone | CBD COP17, Yerevan
Gender & Biodiversity Champions Breakfast
Partners: CBD Women’s Caucus | Other partners
The breakfast will provide an opportunity to highlight the importance of gender equality and women’s leadership in biodiversity action and strengthen engagement among partners supporting gender-responsive implementation of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
Thursday, 22 October 2026
13:15
Location: Tatev – Subnational Group Meeting Room, Block 2, 3rd Floor
Inclusive Action for Biodiversity Outcomes: Gender Equality, Human Rights, and Community Engagement through NBSAPs
Partners: UNDP | Costa Rica | Eswatini | Tajikistan | NBSAP AP | UNEP | Alliance Bioversity and CIAT/CGIAR | GIZ
The success of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework depends on countries translating ambitious NBSAP targets into action that is adequately financed, locally grounded and supported by strong governance and accountability mechanisms. However, implementation barriers, including limited mandates, insufficient budgets, weak data, fragmented coordination and exclusionary decision-making, continue to constrain progress.
Addressing these challenges requires stronger cross-sector collaboration, inclusive governance and meaningful participation of women, Indigenous Peoples, local communities and other stakeholders in biodiversity decision-making. The event will highlight country experiences and practical approaches to advancing gender equality, human rights and community engagement through NBSAPs.
Thursday, 22 October 2026
15:00–16:15
Location: Forum A, IUCN Pavilion
Protect People, Protect Nature: Addressing GBV in Biodiversity Conservation and Implementing GPA Objective 1.5
Partners: UNDP | Eswatini | Costa Rica | IUCN | NORAD
This side event will showcase tools and approaches to prevent, mitigate and respond to gender-based violence across biodiversity sectors. Led by the governments of Eswatini and Costa Rica, with support from partners, the event will highlight lessons learned and good practices for addressing gender-based violence in biodiversity conservation.
Discussions will focus on integrating GBV considerations into NBSAPs and national biodiversity targets, incorporating safeguards into biodiversity-related projects and strengthening support for women environmental defenders.
Tuesday, 27 October 2026
10:30–11:30
Location: Not confirmed
Women’s Forum – High-level Dialogue: Taking Action for the Full Implementation of the GPA and a Gender-Responsive KMGBF
Partners: CBD Women’s Caucus | Other partners
This high-level dialogue, convened as part of the Women’s Forum, will focus on accelerating the full implementation of the Gender Plan of Action and advancing a gender-responsive Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
The discussion will highlight the importance of women’s leadership, meaningful participation and gender-responsive policies and actions in achieving global biodiversity targets, while exploring opportunities to strengthen implementation at national and international levels.
Tuesday, 27 October 2026
18:15–19:35
Location: Sisian – Eastern European States Meeting Room, Blue Zone
Gender Equality as Accelerator: Delivering Inclusive, Effective and Durable Results for Land, Biodiversity and Climate
Partners: UNDP | UN Women | National Committee for Gender Equality of Mongolia | CBD Secretariat (TBC) | Armenia (TBC)
This side event will highlight gender equality as a key accelerator of inclusive and effective outcomes for biodiversity, climate and land restoration.
Drawing on country experiences and partnerships, the discussion will showcase practical approaches to integrating gender equality into national policies, financing mechanisms and implementation efforts. It will highlight women’s leadership, gender-responsive solutions and opportunities to scale up approaches that deliver benefits for people and planet.
Thailand will share its experience with gender-responsive budgeting, providing an opportunity to highlight broader gender-responsive programming through BIOFIN, including work with women’s groups in Koh Tao and efforts to integrate gender equality into biodiversity finance.