Moving towards a twin-agenda: Gender equality and land degradation neutrality

The conceptual framework for Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) highlights that land degradation in developing countries impacts men and women differently, mainly due to unequal access to land, water, credit, extension services and technology. It further asserts that gender inequality plays a significant role in land-degradation-related poverty hence the need to address persistent gender inequalities that fuel women's poverty in LDN interventions. This paper presents recommendations for moving towards a twin-agenda: gender equality and land degradation neutrality. It first introduces gender dimensions of current global environmental regimes, identifying critical interlinkages between gender equality and women's human rights and land rights with a focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Next, it analyses gender entry points in the LDN conceptual framework, presenting promising gender mainstreaming practices in local efforts to address land degradation. The research methods of content analysis of relevant literature, including official documents of the UNCCD Conference of the Parties (COP); collection and analysis of case studies from different geographies to identify promising gender-responsive practices at country and local levels; and the analysis of the outcomes from a capacity building workshop on gender mainstreaming held during the COP13 in Ordos, China, in September 2017 are used to recommend how gender perspectives can be incorporated into policies, programs and interventions aimed to avoid, reduce or reverse land degradation at local and national levels.