Shore to Policy- Women’s Role in Marine Conservation and Governance in the Western Indian Ocean Region
The Nairobi Convention, guided by United Nations Environment Programme´s (UNEP) guidelines, is driving gender-inclusive governance in the WIO. Priorities include boosting women’s leadership, ensuring fair access to marine resources, building capacity in fisheries and conservation, and strengthening policies for inclusive marine planning.
Celebrating International Women's Day
As the world marks International Women’s Day on March 8, 2025, under the theme “For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment,” we recognize and celebrate the invaluable contributions of women in ocean governance. In recent years, there has been a notable increase in women’s involvement across the Western Indian Ocean region in marine conservation, sustainable fisheries, and community-driven initiatives that promote ocean health and resilience. Their leadership and participation are essential to enhancing sustainable blue economies.
The Importance of Women in Ocean Governance
Although men have traditionally dominated leadership roles in science, gender diversity in ocean-related research is 10% higher than in scientific research overall, as highlighted in the Global Ocean Science Report by IOC-UNESCO. This trend demonstrates a growing presence of women in influential positions within environmental governance.
At UNEP for example, gender inclusivity is evident at all leadership levels. Women continue to take on influential roles, with figures like Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP; Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Deputy Executive Director of UNEP; and Susan Gardner, Director of the Ecosystems Division at UNEP playing key governance roles.
Regionally, women’s networks like the Network for Women in Marine Science in the Western Indian Ocean region have been monumental in providing a platform for mentorship, sharing experiences and achievements, while increasing visibility. The Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) has actively promoted inclusivity and gender equity in marine science, conservation, governance, research funding, leadership training, and policy advocacy. WIMAfrica empowers women in the maritime sector by fostering entrepreneurship and participation in marine industries. The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) – Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative has promoted women’s roles in regional economic development since 2013. The trajectory towards sustainability and cooperation among nations through women is truly unstoppable.
Women in Marine Spatial Planning- Nairobi Convention
Within Marine Spatial Planning (MSP), an ocean governance and blue economy process that guides where and when human activities occur in the ocean to minimize conflicts, promote the sustainable use of marine resources, and protect marine ecosystems, women continue to play participatory roles in decision-making.
The GEF-funded WIOSAP project (2016-2024) advanced women-led eco-tourism and sustainable fisheries through its demonstration projects. At Kenya’s Sabaki River estuary, women played key roles in conservation, receiving training in ecosystem restoration, mangrove planting, and alternative livelihoods like eco-tourism and sustainable fishing. The project also empowered women as leaders in community-based natural resource management, ensuring their voices shaped decision-making.
Additionally, women-led enterprises benefited from the estuary’s improved health, highlighting the link between environmental sustainability and gender inclusivity. Community-based seagrass restoration projects in Mozambique and Mauritius further provided women with skills, alternative income sources, and financial independence while enhancing marine biodiversity.
The SAPPHIRE project seeks to promote sustainable management of marine resources in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region. It focuses on harmonizing policies and implementing institutional reforms to ensure the health and productivity of marine ecosystems. The project supports alternative livelihoods to reduce pressure on marine resources. Advancing women’s leadership skills in marine governance has been a priority within the project. As such, women professionals from the Western Indian Ocean region have participated in leadership and policy training workshops. In May 2024, a senior leadership workshop in Mombasa, Kenya, was organised, focusing on strategic leadership, crisis management, collaboration, and fostering peer learning through requested networks like the WIO Women Leaders’ Network, which was discussed and will be launched soon.
The SWIOFC-Nairobi Convention Partnership Project is committed to amplifying gender inclusivity. This has led to the inclusion of women in village cooperatives set up to enhance the sustainability of fisheries management in Mozambique, Tanzania and Madagascar. In Mahajanga, Madagascar, the MItantana HArena an-dRanomasina avy any Ifotony(MIHARI) Village women-led community groups have been involved in mangrove restoration projects to protect this vital ecosystem while sustaining their livelihoods. They are now exploring mangrove conservation for carbon markets.
Other projects under the Nairobi Convention that have actively involved gender inclusivity in their programs include the NoCaMo Project on marine spatial planning, which covers zoning of marine areas for multiple uses, designating marine protected areas (MPAs), regulating sustainable fisheries, and integrating coastal community needs into ocean governance frameworks. The ACP MEAs 3 Project focuses on participatory waste management in Comoros, Tanzania, and Seychelles; coastal and marine water quality capacity building and monitoring in Zanzibar; and in co-management of marine resources.
Overcoming Barriers
Despite progress, increasing women’s representation in leadership requires targeted policies that enhance training, capacity-building, and decision-making. This includes legal reforms, leadership development, economic empowerment (e.g., microfinance), and campaigns to challenge traditional gender norms.
About Nairobi Convention
The Nairobi Convention is a regional legal framework that brings together governments, partners, and stakeholders to promote sustainable management and protection of the Western Indian Ocean’s coastal and marine environment. Administered by UNEP, the Nairobi Convention —signed by Comoros, France, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania, and the Republic of South Africa — provides a platform for governments, civil society, and the private sector to work together for the sustainable management and use of the marine and coastal environment. It facilitates collaboration between these countries to address environmental challenges, promote marine conservation, and implement policies that ensure the sustainable use of marine resources.
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For more information please contact: theuri.mwangi@un.org
Words by Winnifred Akiso. Cover photo - Women in Jimbo Vanga, Kenya during SWIOFC-NC PP 2 site selection. Photo credit: Ricardo TorressColl.
