Women for Conservation
Colombia is one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth but its vital rainforest ecosystems are increasingly under threat from deforestation. Women living in Colombia’s remote rural areas often lack access to reproductive health services, while also facing early marriage and childbirth, as well as high rates of gender-based violence.
Women for Conservation draws the critical links between the two issues, recognizing that thriving communities are better able to protect their natural environment, and that empowering women in particular brings deep and long-lasting benefits.
Women for Conservation works in partnership with bird conservation organization Fundación ProAves and family planning organization Profamilia to deliver workshops on natural resource management, habitat restoration, sustainable agriculture, waste reduction, renewable energy, sexual and reproductive health, and cancer screening. Women for Conservation also covers the cost of contraceptive methods and travel to family planning clinics, and helps women gain the necessary skills and tools to gain income from eco-tourism and conservation work.
By empowering women to take charge of their fertility and sexual health and to get involved in conservation efforts, the organization helps reduce pressure on Colombia’s biodiversity hotspots while also improving the lives of local communities.
Women for Conservation was created in memory of Amparo, Sara’s mother, a visionary who dedicated her life to the empowerment of rural women in Cauca, Colombia. She sadly died at the age of 42, when Sara was only 19 years old. Sara now runs the organization with her daughter Isabella.
“In essence, we are built on three generations of mother and daughter connection, passing knowledge, wisdom and passion. The lessons of our grandmother guides us to better understand the issues that women face. We dedicate our cause to the generations of women… past, present and yet to come.”
Photo: Isabella and Sara at the 2021 IUCN Conservation Congress in Marseille. © Women for Conservation
Virtual Events with Women for Conservation
We participated in the 58th session of the UN Commission on Population and Development by hosting an official virtual side event with Population Media Center and Women for Conservation! We were joined by three compelling storytellers and population stabilization advocates for a 90-minute panel discussion.
Reproductive health and rights and bodily autonomy are key to advancing Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, Good Health and Well-being. During the panel, speakers showcased how their organizations’ work helps remove barriers to family planning and empowers women and girls.
Based in Uganda (Conservation Through Public Health), Madagascar (Lemur Love), and Colombia (Women for Conservation), all three organizations focus on preserving their local forests through public health initiatives, education and empowerment programs for those living in communities bordering the forests, particularly women and girls. During the discussion, we learned more about how their unique programs are adapted for the conservation challenges they face.
We celebrated World Rainforest Day with our Global Partner, Women for Conservation! We were inspired as the speakers delved into the organization’s community-based programs in conservation training, sustainable livelihoods, and family planning— all aimed at empowering rural women to become guardians of nature and protect critical biodiversity for generations.
During this event we heard from Sara Inés Lara, Founder and Executive Director of Women for Conservation, who shared how the organization’s programs work to protect and preserve endangered wildlife and their habitats.
Through our Global Partners program, Population Connection supports a growing number of grassroots organizations around the world working to increase access to education, public health and family planning services. Their…
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