We are so excited to announce that WOS have been selected by the UN #OceanDecade 'Decade Actions' campaign for our 'Empower Ocean' project. It is such a huge honour to be recognised by the UN for our work in training women from small island coral reef communities to become ocean guardians of their own marine ecosystems, through our diving, ocean literacy and marine conservation training. "Supporting Women is Protecting the Ocean" https://lnkd.in/eRWhnRWr https://lnkd.in/eV-GzDRE
Empowering women in ocean action isn’t just about fairness; it’s a key to unlocking sustainable ocean solutions. Marine biologists, conservationists, chemists, oceanographers, and ocean advocates – women have long played a crucial role in driving science and research forward. In marine and coastal industries, they make up half the workforce, shaping major sectors like fisheries and tourism. But they often hold the lowest-paid, lowest-status, and least-protected positions. Making ocean science and sectors more inclusive is at the heart of the mission of the #OceanDecade. Here are three examples of inspiring initiatives from our network of endorsed Decade Actions that aim to ensure that every woman and girl has the opportunity to shape the future of the ocean. ?? In the Maldives and Indonesia, the project Empower Ocean by Women in Ocean Science enables women from coastal communities to become ocean guardians in their own right. ?? Across Africa and the Bay of Bengal, the EAF-Nansen Programme, a longstanding partnership between FAO and Norway, seeks to make gender “everyone’s business” in marine science and fisheries management. ?? In the Philippines, the Southeast Asian Professionals Program led by East-West Center helps women fisherfolk better understand, manage, and benefit from Marine Protected Areas. By partnering with Lalakbayin Ecoventures, it has enabled 50 women to create the first women-led ocean protection initiative in the Barangay Decabobo Marine Protected Area in Palawan, a critical habitat for vulnerable dugongs and coral reefs. Read more in the latest article of our 'Ocean science in action' series: https://ow.ly/JtC850Vqj7E #GenerationEquality