The “Strategies, technologies, and social solutions to manage bycatch in tropical Large Marine Ecosystem Fisheries (REBYC-III CLME+),” and the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF) in the shrimp and groundfish fisheries of the North Brazil Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem (EAF4SG) projects participated in the second stakeholder consultation on “The Integration of Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) in the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) / Strategic Action Programme (SAP) Processes.”
The Consultation was convened on 3 October 2025, as part of the Global Environment Facility’s (GEF) International Waters (IW: LEARN) initiative. The session brought together gender experts, project managers and implementing partners from various GEF IW projects to refine and finalise the upcoming IW: LEARN Guidance Document titled: “How to Integrate Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) in GEF IW Projects.”
The consultation was led by UNESCO’s World Water Assessment Programme (WWAP) team in collaboration with UNESCO-IOC IW: LEARN and aimed to gather final inputs from practitioners to strengthen the practical applicability of the GESI Guidelines within ongoing and future GEF-funded projects. Sixteen participants attended including Ms. Rayanna Boodram-Pulchan, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer and Gender Specialist, REBYC-III and EAF4SG projects.
The consultation session aimed to:
- Present the draft outline of the IW:LEARN GESI Guidance document.
- Identify challenges and barriers affecting the full integration of GESI principles into current and planned GEF IW projects.
- Gather stakeholder feedback on case study incorporation and learning needs for implementing agencies.
- Review how GESI considerations will be reflected in the updated 2025 TDA/SAP manual.
The consultation successfully consolidated expert input and practical recommendations for finalising the IW: LEARN GESI Guidance document. The session reinforced that achieving gender equality and social inclusion within transboundary water management requires not only strong policy frameworks, but also continuous capacity development, partnerships and locally relevant tools.
The forthcoming GESI Guidelines are expected to serve as a key reference for integrating equity and inclusion principles into GEF IW projects, including those in fisheries coastal resource management, and marine ecosystem governance.
