GESI and CTI-CFF Women Leaders Forum

Across the Coral Triangle, women play a crucial role in preserving marine and coastal ecosystems, yet their contributions are often underrecognized. To bridge this gap and foster inclusive conservation leadership, the Women Leaders Forum (WLF) was launched in May 2014 as a regional initiative of the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries, and Food Security (CTI-CFF) during its 10th Senior Officials Meeting and 5th Ministerial Meeting in Manado, Indonesia.

The WLF calls upon Coral Triangle countries to actively integrate gender equality into marine resource management by engaging women as key stakeholders and documenting these actions to demonstrate effective inclusion.

The WLF was created to serve multiple functions across the region:

• a peer-learning network connecting women leaders in marine conservation across the Coral Triangle;
• a platform to recognize the achievement of grassroots women champions in marine conservation;
• a venue to build capacity for women of the Coral Triangle to take leadership positions in marine management; and
• a mechanism to support the CTI-CFF’s Regional and National Plans of Action in integrating gender principles in its activities.

Through these efforts, the Coral Triangle is advancing toward becoming a world leader in gender-sensitive conservation and development.