Women Ocean Guardians gather in Mombasa, Kenya for the Africa regional meeting. Across the world, there are now 75 women ocean guardians from 33 countries. Credit: WCS/Kang-Chun Cheng.
The Women Ocean Guardians Initiative, global public-private partnership that places women at the forefront of ocean conservation and the sustainable use of marine resources within formal decision-making systems, has announced that two more governments, Belize and Madagascar, have pledged to integrate women’s leadership into national marine conservation strategies and blue economies.
These countries, which made this pledge at the UN Biodiversity Conference (CoP17), have joined 14 other governments which have made the same commitment.
The CoP17 Women Ocean Guardians event marks a milestone for the global initiative: achieving over 50 signed commitments of support, including 16 governments and more than 30 partners, all uniting to elevate the voices of frontline women in ocean governance. None of this would be possible without the courage and collective leadership of 75 women ocean guardians from 33 countries.
“Belize has always punched above its weight in marine conservation,” said Orlando Habet, Belize Minister of Sustainable Development & Climate Change, “but our success has never been an accident of geography—it is the result of the dedication, wisdom, and leadership of our women on the coast.”
“In Madagascar, women are real team players in marine conservation and local costal community development—whether as rangers, saving groups, park managers, coastal health care workers, scientists, chief of villages, majors, or technical department leads,” said Andrianirina Harinaivo Fanomezantsoa, Madagascar’s Coordonnateur Général de l’Organe de Coordination des actions stratégiques pour la Diplomatie Verte et des Organsimes Rattachés.
The Women Ocean Guardians Initiative addresses critical gaps in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Recent GBF progress reports reveal that Target 23 (focused on gender equality and a gender-responsive approach) remains the least advanced of the global goals.
Additionally, the primary challenges identified in achieving the 30×30 ocean protection goal (Target 3) continue to be management effectiveness and inclusive governance.
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Conservation International, and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) convened the Women Ocean Guardians Initiative to close these gaps by building and enabling conditions for women on the forefront of conservation to lead, driving both ecosystem recovery and equitable governance.
Said Pamela Castillo, Director of Marine 30×30, Wildlife Conservation Society: “What we have built in just two years is a model for delivering global biodiversity targets, inclusive governance and shared decision-making. Powered by the women guardians and our partners, we are driving systemic change. Delivering Target 23 is not separate from achieving 30×30; it is essential to making the Global Biodiversity Framework a reality. We cannot protect the ocean without the women ocean guardians.”
The inaugural Women Ocean Guardians Initiative General Assembly in 2029 will be convened in partnership with the government of Jamaica at the Our Ocean Conference, bringing together the complete global network of frontline women, sovereign leaders, and multilateral partners to evaluate progress and set the marine conservation agenda. Women Ocean Guardians have three regional hubs Southeast Asia and the Pacific (SEAP); Latin America and the Caribbean; and Africa.
“Jamaica is committed to the Women Ocean Guardians Initiative (WOGI) and intends to join the coalition at the Our Oceans Conference 12 in Halifax, Canada in 2027,” said Jamaican Special Envoy for Climate Change, Environment, Ocean, and Blue Economy Dale Webber.
