Biodiversity loss

Biodiversity loss occurs when any aspect of biological diversity (i.e., diversity at the genetic, species and ecosystem levels) is lost in a particular area through death (including extinction), destruction or manual removal; it can refer to many scales, from global extinctions to population extinctions, resulting in decreased total diversity at the same scale.

Because of pervasive gender inequalities, women are differentially impacted by biodiversity degradation and loss. For instance, biodiversity loss forces women and girls to spend more time and travel greater distances to collect water, wood for fuel, and animals and plants for food and medicine. This in turn sets them further back in receiving an education and generating an income and makes it harder for them to have a say in the conservation and management of their communities’ natural resources.