Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI)

Gender equality and social inclusion are essential to achieving long-lasting ecosystem restoration. The GEF Ecosystem Restoration Integrated Program (ERIP) ensures that restoration strategies include the voices, rights, and leadership of women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities across its 20 participating countries. By involving everyone, ERIP builds stronger, fairer, and more sustainable solutions for nature. 

Photo credit: © FLAVIO FORNER

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Why GESI Matters

Gender equality and social inclusion are key to solving global environmental challenges. Research shows that when women and marginalized groups are involved in managing natural resources, projects are more effective and sustainable. In ecosystem restoration, their knowledge and leadership help tackle climate change, protect biodiversity, and support community development. The GEF Ecosystem Restoration Integrated Program (ERIP) brings this to life by ensuring that women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities lead and benefit from restoration efforts —creating fairer, stronger, and longer-lasting results for people and the planet. 

Photo credit: © Jessica Scranton

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ERIP’s Role & Strategy

The ERIP supports countries and partners in advancing gender equality and social inclusion through a collaborative, action-driven approach. ERIP helps build capacity by fostering a global community of practice where restoration practitioners share experiences, challenges, and solutions. This network strengthens local leadership and ensures restoration efforts reflect diverse voices and needs. 

To drive impact, ERIP offers global networking opportunities, resource platforms, and practical tools to help integrate GESI into restoration planning and implementation. It also provides tangible, real-world examples of GESI in action—showcasing how inclusive approaches lead to better outcomes. 

Photo credit: © Thomas Muller

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Our Vision for Success

- Inclusive leadership and decision-making in ecosystem restoration 

- Equitable restoration benefits and enhanced community resilience 

- Stronger, more sustainable restoration  

Photo credit: © Starbucks

Looking Ahead

Gender equality & social inclusion is central to ERIP’s vision of building a global movement for ecosystem restoration. As a coordinated effort to scale up restoration, ERIP recognizes that lasting impact depends on including everyone – especially women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities. ERIP’s strong GESI approach is a driver of innovation, resilience, and long-term impact.   

ERIP works with and through a wide range of partners to ensure restoration is inclusive, effective, and scalable. By drawing on diverse knowledge and leadership, restoration becomes more resilient and rooted in local realities. GESI also helps build stronger community ownership, helping efforts last and grow. Through practical tools, peer learning, and global platforms, the ERIP helps countries and partners to embed GESI into restoration efforts – laying the groundwork for ecosystems and communities to recover, adapt, and flourish in a changing climate.

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    ERIP child projects focused on restoration in and around protected and conserved areas (PCAs) took part in the Global Knowledge Exchange Workshop on “Strengthening the Effectiveness and Impact of Protected and Conserved Areas,” held from 18–22 May in Chengdu, China.

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Trainings and Webinars

Learning

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    ERIP Capacity Building Bootcamps

    The Ecosystem Restoration Integrated Program Capacity Building Bootcamps are two cohort‑based online programs designed to support ERIP country teams in strengthening skills, tools, and peer learning for ecosystem restoration planning and finance.  In 2026, ERIP offers two distinct bootcamps tailored to different but complementary capacities: Restoration Action Planning Bootcamp and Restoration Finance Bootcamp. 

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    Assisted Natural Regeneration Practitioner Training Course 2026

    This free eight-week online course starts on 1 July 2026 and is developed for ecosystem restoration practitioners. It focuses on Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) approaches, benefits and constraints. The course covers essential steps of planning, implementation and monitoring ANR, offering a solid foundation for achieving broad socio-economic and environmental outcomes through practices designed to enhance natural regeneration across ecosystems and landscapes.

Resources

Resources

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    Guidance on other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs)

    The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted in 2022, provides a framework for the effective implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) through four goals and 23 targets. Target 3 (known as the ‘30x30 target’) calls on Parties to conserve at least 30% of terrestrial, inland waters, and coastal and marine areas by 2030. These guidelines are designed to promote good practices relating to identifying, reporting, monitoring and strengthening OECMs. They are intended for use by a wide range of rightsholders and stakeholders to promote understanding of whether a site meets the CBD criteria for identifying an OECM, how to report OECM data at the national and global levels, and how to monitor and strengthen OECMs.

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    White Papers

    IUCN WCPA Technical Note No. 23: Integrating Justice into Restoration Practice

    Technical note aiming to provide evidence-based guidance for deepening the incorporation of social justice objectives into restoration projects, including those located in and around protected and conserved areas. In particular, there is strong evidence that highly inclusive and respectful practices - especially those involving local leadership - lead to better ecological and social outcomes. This technical note aims to bridge that gap by summarising lessons learned about promoting just restoration and highlighting opportunities and tools to facilitate these efforts.

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    Policy Briefs

    Quando a Regeneração Natural é uma solução eficaz para restaurar a floresta?

    A regeneração natural é uma solução eficaz quando a área teve baixa intensidade de uso do solo e está próxima de fragmentos florestais, garantindo a chegada de sementes e sucessão sem grandes entraves. É necessário o reconhecimento e aplicação de indicadores e valores de referência para avaliar e monitorar a efetividade da regeneração natural como estratégia de restauração de ecossistemas e de provisão de serviços ecossistêmicos.