Jeannette attended the Gender and REDD+ Learning Exchange organized by IUCN and USAID in collaboration with WEDO, the UN-REDD programme and REDD+ SESin Washington DC from 13-15 May 2014, along with about 45 others from around the world. The objective of the event was to increase the understanding of gender considerations relevant to REDD+ through exchange of on the ground examples from multiple countries and contexts; identify lessons learned, challenges, gaps and needs among the different countries in which gender and REDD+ initiatives have been developed, or will be developed; consolidate best practices and actions to overcome challenges that can be scaled up and adapted to a range of contexts; itdentify future actions, from local to global levels, to continue addressing gender considerations in REDD+; and enhance knowledge and collaboration toward all partners’ and participants’ ongoing programming.
The workshop resulted in enhanced knowledge of good practices and success stories, shared through a market place approach, and a discussion of opportunities for collaboration and ways forward. Jeannette spoke on a panel that reviewed actions taken to date on the integration of gender into REDD+, where she spoke of the work done by the Joint Initiative on Gender and REDD+ (WOCAN, UN-REDD and LEAF) and the decision to have a seat for a woman representative (currently WOCAN Core Associate Cecile Ndjebet) sit on the Forest Carbon Partnership Fund. She emphasized the need for the gender work to focus more on results and accountability mechanisms, and less on the processes oriented around gender mainstreaming.