Gender Equality And Social Inclusion Assessment and Action Plan for SDS-SEA IP 2023-2027

DESCRIPTION:

Recognizing the numerous ocean-related challenges in the region, Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) adopted the Sustainable Development Strategies for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA) in 2003. The SDS-SEA is a package of relevant principles, strategies, objectives, and implementation approaches for achieving sustainable development of oceans and coasts of the Seas of East Asia region. In 2015, the SDS-SEA was updated to ensure that it remained relevant to the needs and circumstances of the region and aligned to the post 2015 international and regional commitments and targets.

Integrating the principles of GESI in SDS-SEA IP 2023-2027 is critical to achieving the SDS-SEA IP 2023-2027 Priority Program - Objectives. Women and men use and manage marine and coastal ecosystems differently and have specific knowledge, capabilities and needs related to coastal and marine resources. The work and contributions of women, informal workers and indigenous groups have been routinely ignored or underestimated in coastal and marine research, management and policy, including, but not limited to, their important work in fisheries and aquaculture, in the processing and trading of marine products, in managing plastic and other waste from urban and tourist growth, and in conservation and disaster risk reduction initiatives. Gender equality and social inclusion integration to the SDS-SEA IP 2023-2027 requires identifying and understanding the gaps between women and men in communities, and broader society. It also requires an understanding of discrimination and exclusion based on other identities such as age, physical abilities, race, religion, ethnicity, and socio-economic status.

Based on the GESI Assessment, the SDS-SEA IP 2023-2027 GESI Action Plan was developed to guide the PRF in improving the SDS-SEA-IP 2023-2027 and facilitate the meaningful participation of women, youth, PWD, and other marginalized groups in the Priority Programs of the SDS-SEA. The GESI Action Plan reviews and provide recommendations on mainstreaming gender dimension in the SDS-SEA Implementation Plan 2023-2027, including the identification of gender responsive activities and approaches (ex. the use of disaggregated indicators in state of ocean/river basin reports, gender sensitive finance mobilization, and partner identification to support capacity development and training for PRF, PEMSEA country- and non-country partners, PNLG, PNLC, etc.). The GESI Action Plan will include a section on GESI in the SDS-SEA IP and recommendations in the form of GESI specific policies, activities, outcomes, impacts, indicators and targets where relevant in the SDS-SEA IP itself.