Rural women in the global South are closely connected to ecosystem services due to their roles in household food provisioning and social reproduction. They play a stronger role than men in managing ecosystem services and have specialized knowledge of biological resources. However, rural women are also the most vulnerable to the negative impacts of ecosystem degradation and climate change, and are often excluded from decisions regarding resource exploitation and management due to inequitable social norms. The document calls for women's voices, knowledge, and challenges to be central to climate adaptation efforts, and for investing in women's resilience to catalyze ecosystem conservation and sustainable management. It suggests empowering women to directly influence policy could make them strategic partners in environmental negotiations.

1. • Rural women primarily in the global South:
– Connected to all aspects of ecosystems services
due to their primary social reproduc5on and food
provisioning roles at household and community
levels;
– Play a much stronger role rela5ve to men in the
management of ecosystems services;
– have specialized knowledge of biological resources
and ecosystems func5ons;
• Paradoxically,
– They are the segment of the rural popula5on most
vulnerable to the nega5ve effects of ecosystem
degrada5on and climate change impacts;
– Are o@en excluded in decisions on its exploita5on
for produc5ve use and its management due to
skewed power rela5ons and inequitable social and
cultural norms.
Gender implica5ons of climate change and ecosystem degrada5on

2. • Women’s voices, responsibili>es and
knowledge, and the challenges they
face need to be a central part of the
adap>ve responses to climate change
vulnerability and ecosystem
degrada>on
• Learning from women and building
their resilience by inves>ng in them
can be a cri>cal catalyst In ecosystem
conserva>on, restora>on and
sustainable management
• Imagine the possibili>es if women
are given due recogni>on, voice and
space to directly influence
interna>onal discourse and policy
processes on ecosystems
management as strategically
important actors in their own right.
More partnerships for environmental
services nego>a>ons?