A big step towards addressing gender inequalities at CITES CoP19

22 November 2022: WWF congratulates CITES member countries for approving Panama’s proposal to finally consider  the importance of ensuring gender mainstreaming and equality in the convention.

Today CITES is joining other multilateral agreements such as CBD, UNCCD, and UNFCCC in recognizing that gender mainstreaming is fundamental for achieving long term conservation goals, sustainable development, and fulfillment of universal human rights.

Gender influences wildlife trade, whether legal or illegal, and its socio-economic impacts. Access and control over resources including land, and the economic opportunities related to wildlife conservation and stewardship are unbalanced across gender. 

The adoption of today’s resolution forms the basis for the development of various instruments and measures that will set the convention on a positive path towards conservation success, improving living conditions and governance, reducing conflict, social inequalities and eradicating gender-based violence related to legal and illegal international trade in wildlife.

“CITES can never be fully effective as long as it remains gender blind”, said Renata Cao, WWF Wildlife Crime Hub Lead for Latin America. “Today member countries took a big step in the right direction to address entrenched gender differences and inequalities. Let's do what is just and right,” added Cao.

For more information, please contact:

Marsden Momanyi: mmomanyi@wwfint.org  / Tel: +254 719784872

Monica Echeverria: Monica.Echeverria@wwfus.org  / Tel: +1 (202)378 33 96 (English and Spanish)

REACTIVE STATEMENTS:  [TREES]  [ASIAN BIG CATS]   [RHINOS]   [JAGUARS]  [GENDER]

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