Signal SBSTTA-28 side event flags gender data gap in biodiversity monitoring

Summary

A side event at the SBSTTA-28 meeting in Nairobi highlighted the near-total absence of gender-responsive data in the monitoring and reporting systems for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Held on July 27, the event was hosted by the CBD Women's Caucus together with Guatemala, UNEP-WCMC, IUCN-CEESP, IIED, and WEDO/GEDA, addressing one of the most persistent blind spots in biodiversity governance. Technical experts, government representatives, and community researchers gathered to share evidence, identify gaps, and chart a path toward more inclusive monitoring. Speakers stressed a shared message that without sex-disaggregated data and meaningful participation by women, biodiversity monitoring will keep overlooking the people whose knowledge and labor sustain conservation on the ground. They further warned that policies built on such an incomplete picture will remain less robust than they need to be.