Every March 8, International Women’s Day is celebrated, an event that the United Nations began to commemorate in 1975 and that has its origin in the demonstrations of women who demanded the right to vote, better working conditions and equality between the sexes at the beginning of the twentieth century.
This year, under the slogan “For all women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment”, the UN invites us to reflect on the progress made, but also on the challenges that still persist in the fight for gender equality.
In this context, the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) reaffirms its commitment to the inclusion of women in biodiversity management and in the ecological transition, two of the fundamental axes to achieve a sustainable future.
GENDER EQUALITY IN THE ECOLOGICAL TRANSITION
In recent years, there has been evidence of a growing participation of women in the fight against climate change and in the promotion of a greener and more inclusive economic model. However, there are still great inequalities that hinder progress in gender equality in key sectors such as energy, biodiversity or natural resource management.
Within the framework of COP29, held in Baku (Azerbaijan) in 2024, Spain, in collaboration with various international organizations, reaffirmed its firm commitment to climate justice from a feminist perspective. In this context, key events such as the Dialogue on Climate Finance with a Gender Focus were held, which addressed the structural barriers faced by women, particularly young women and girls, to participate equitably in the energy transition.
In addition, Spain also formalised in 2023 its adhesion to the Equal by 30 Campaign, a global initiative whose objective is to achieve equal pay, leadership and opportunities for women in the clean energy sector by 2030.
GREEN AND RURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AS A DRIVER OF CHANGE
Green and rural entrepreneurship is also presented as a key way for the inclusion of women in the transformation of our economy. However, the statistics still reflect a large disparity. In Spain, only one in ten entrepreneurs in green activities is a woman, and rural women entrepreneurs represent only a third of the total in rural areas, according to the report Women’s Green Entrepreneurship and Women’s Entrepreneurship in Rural Areas by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge
These sectors are essential to address problems such as depopulation and masculinization of rural territories, and women have a critical role to play. In fact, according to data from the Union of Associations of Self-Employed Workers and Entrepreneurs (UATAE) for 2024, self-employment in Spain gained 42,396 people in 2024, of which 22,239 were women, representing a significant increase in female participation in self-employment. However, women still represent only 36.9% of the total number of self-employed, which highlights the persistent inequality in access and opportunities in this sector.
Through initiatives such as the Empleaverde+ Program and the Emprendeverde Network, the Biodiversity Foundation works to strengthen female entrepreneurship in the green economy. These programs not only provide support to women entrepreneurs, but also encourage access to resources and specific training, promoting the inclusion of women in the sustainable management of natural resources and in biodiversity conservation projects.
PERSISTENT CHALLENGES AND GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT
Despite progress, women continue to face barriers, including limited access to finance, lack of representation in leadership positions, and structural discrimination in key sectors, from clean energy to climate planning. According to a study by European Women in VC, less than 2% of startup investment is directed to companies founded exclusively by women, limiting their ability to develop in high-investment sectors, such as renewable energy.
In addition, women in rural and vulnerable areas face additional obstacles in terms of access to land, financing and technology to address climate change.
The Biodiversity Foundation, in collaboration with national and international organizations, promotes projects that integrate the gender perspective in environmental management, working so that women and girls of all ages and contexts can be agents of change in the creation of a fairer world for all. To this end, it has the Guide to include the gender perspective in projects, to guide the entities with which it collaborates in integrating the gender perspective in all phases of projects. It also organises different events such as the Forum on Cities, Environment and Gender, to exchange experiences and proposals that guarantee greater participation of women in the management of biodiversity and climate change.
International Women’s Day reminds us of the importance of continuing to move towards a more egalitarian society in which women’s empowerment is a priority in all sectors, including those most strategic for the future of the planet such as biodiversity and the green economy. On this path, the participation of women in the ecological transition and the strengthening of their capacities in entrepreneurship are key to achieving a sustainable, inclusive and egalitarian future.
