The development of the global economy and the environment requires the utmost care and attention provided by the fairer gender.

The commemoration of Women’s Month was institutionalized through Presidential Proclamation 227 in 1988 to honor mothers, daughters, and others who battle sexual discrimination almost daily.

United Nations data indicated an estimated 7.95 billion people in 2022, with four billion men and 3.95 billion women, or an almost equal division. Still, the male sex, in terms of rights and entitlements, always got more.

For the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, or DENR, and the United Nations Development Program’s Biodiversity Finance Initiative, or UNDP BIOFIN, gender equality, women’s empowerment, and inclusive leadership are all intertwined in the provision of sustainable development.

“Women’s empowerment and gender equality are vital to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which envisions a world of universal respect for human rights and individual dignity,” according to UNDP resident representative Selva Ramachandran.

To mark Women’s Month 2024, DENR-UNDP BIOFIN recognized three women working to uphold biodiversity in the country.

One of them is Mary Paduganao of the Cabladan Bantay Gubat Association, an ecology advocacy group.

At 71, Paduganao is one of the “Lola Rangers” at Simbalom Natural Park, one of Antique’s rapidly rising ecotourism destinations.