Globally, only 1% of jobs in the maritime workforce are held by women. This gap reflects the barriers many women face in accessing roles in maritime-related activities, such as a lack of technical training, limited access to technology, and inequalities in pay and work-life balance.
With the goal of transforming this reality, the national workshop “Women Leaders in Marine Protection: Challenges and Opportunities” was held in Costa Rica, led by WildAid and funded by Global Affairs Canada.
The meeting brought together 18 women leaders working in marine conservation and community strengthening, including park rangers, researchers, community leaders, and institutional representatives from entities such as SINAC, INCOPESCA, and the National Coast Guard Service.
Defining strategies
During the workshop, strategies were defined to advance the protection of marine and coastal ecosystems with an inclusive and equitable approach. Experiences were also shared among participants from organizations such as FAICO, Leatherback Trust, Ciencia Ciudadana Marina de la Cruz, Coopemujer Santa Elena, and others.
“Gender equity is key to marine sustainability. To achieve this, we must begin by making visible, naming, and recognizing the transformative role of women in marine protection. Only with the full, equitable, and respectful participation of all can we address the challenges that threaten marine and coastal ecosystems,” said Cristina Weidlich-Hidalgo, WildAid Project Coordinator in Costa Rica.
The workshop also included an audiovisual presentation and a gallery of testimonies from the recent Regional Summit held in Cali, Colombia, and laid the groundwork for future inter-institutional conservation partnerships.
Evelyn Solano Brenes, from the Guanacaste Conservation Area, emphasized that women play fundamental roles in their communities as environmental educators, ecosystem restorers, and fishing entrepreneurs.
Creating spaces for leadership and decision-making
“We need to create spaces for leadership and decision-making that benefit both coastal communities and their biodiversity,” she stated. The initiative is part of a regional effort that also includes Mexico and Peru and seeks to strengthen the enforcement of marine legislation with a gender perspective in the Eastern Tropical Pacific.
