Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association

“The experience of gender-based violence limits the potential and reach of women. We need their diverse perspectives in wildlife conservation.” _ Joyce Peshu Addressing GBV as a barrier to women’s conservation leadership has led to change in Kenya’s conservation landscape. One of the notable impacts realised under the USAID funded Resilient, Inclusive and Sustainable Environments (RISE) program, which seeks to address gender-based violence (GBV) in environment contexts and climate-related sectors, is that one of our member conservancy board that initially had no women leaders has now reached parity and more men have become gender champions. Conservancies have also seen an increase in recruitment of women in the ranger workforce. Inset: KWCA Gender Officer Joyce Peshu sharing RISE highlights in a panel discussion on “Gender Equality for climate and conservation solutions: Advancing Target 23 and Objective 1 of the Gender Plan of Action towards gender equality for biodiversity impact” at the  the Convention for Biological Diversity (COP 16) happening in Cali, Colombia #CoP16 IUCN Global Gender Office USAID Taita Taveta Wildlife Conservancies Association Western Wildlife Conservancies Association The Amboseli Ecosystem Trust Laikipia Conservancies Association Baringo County Conservancies Association AthiKapiti Wildlife Conservancies Association Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association Kasigau Wildlife Conservancy

The role of the ranger workforce cannot be underestimated. They play a critical role in the conservation of protected and conserved areas. They are the often uncelebrated guardians of our nature, our environment, our wildlife and our communities.

Opportunity Alert! Consultancy to undertake an End of Project Evaluation for our program on ‘Advancing Equitable Gender, Social and Power Norms in Community Conservancies in Kenya’ Biophilic Conversations See details below.

When nature thrives, we all thrive! #coexistence

We are pleased to have contributed to the new report launched by Synchronicity Earth and Maliasili, titled “From Pledges to Practice: Shifting Conservation Funding Approaches to Better Support Local African Organizations.” Local African conservation organizations, such as members of our climate portfolio—African Parks Network, Ahueni, Saruni Basecamp, Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association, and Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association—are leading efforts to conserve biodiversity, address climate change and support communities. However, many such organizations face significant funding challenges, with 73% experiencing resource constraints. There is an urgent need for increased and improved funding—and this report highlights the experiences of early supporters like LGT VP, offering guidance and examples to inspire more funders to shift their approaches to focus on providing critical core funding and management support to better back community-led conservation across Africa. You can read the report here: https://bit.ly/3UbSgwJ

Conservancies are key stakeholders in the Kenya’s tourism arena. In Kenya, tourism and wildlife are closely connected and interlinked. Wildlife is the bedrock to Kenya's tourism industry which contributes over 10% to the country's GDP and over 18% to our foreign exchange earnings. With over 200 conservancies in the country covering approximately 18% of the landmass, they secure critical dispersal areas and migratory corridors for wildlife. Currently conservancies in the country host around 245 eco-friendly tourism facilities which offer bespoke immersive tourism experiences and provide over 5,000 direct jobs. Conservancies underpin the significance of community involvement and engagement. The highlight a unique community-led model which provides a triple benefit of wildlife conservation (biodiversity hotspots), community livelihood enhancement (economic enterprises & benefit sharing) and infrastructural development (roads, schools, health centres etc). With an array of nature based enterprises such as beadwork, basketry and bee keeping, conservancies continually showcase the meaning of responsible and sustainable tourism which if scaled could transform Kenya’s tourism sector.  Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association Taita Taveta Wildlife Conservancies Association Laikipia Conservancies Association AthiKapiti Wildlife Conservancies Association Baringo County Conservancies Association Northern Rangelands Trust Western Wildlife Conservancies Association The Amboseli Ecosystem Trust LUMO Community Wildlife Conservancy #sustainabletourism #Partnerships #SDGs #Partnershipsforconservation  #community #naturebasedsolutions 

Integrating indigenous ecological practices, such as the Maasai's rotational grazing, with modern scientific approaches like remote sensing and satellite monitoring, is essential for addressing environmental challenges and promoting sustainable development. #EcoInnovation  #NatureAndTech  #GreenFuture

Do you know how local communities are adapting to and mitigating climate impacts? Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/e-kYum2M

It's vital to recognize how climate impacts influence gender-based violence and the role of conservation in mitigating these effects.