When we think about protecting our environment, we often think about the forests, oceans, rivers, and species that make the Cook Islands special. But caring for these places also means understanding the people who rely on them, look after them, and hold valuable knowledge about them.
Across our islands, knowledge comes in many forms. It is carried by those who fish our waters and understand the rhythms of the moana, those who work our lands and know the importance of seasons and resources, and our elders who continue to share stories, traditions, and cultural practices passed down through generations. It is also carried by the young Cook Islanders who leave home to study, gain new experiences, and return with new knowledge to share with their communities. All of these experiences help shape how different people understand and care for our environment.
Recently, the Project ENUA team participated in a Gender Analysis Training led by Te Puna Vai Marama Senior Research Fellow, Merita Tuari‘i, to explore how understanding different experiences can help us make stronger decisions for conservation.The training explored a simple but important question: Are all voices being heard, and are all people given the opportunity to contribute?
Gender analysis helps us understand the different roles, responsibilities, experiences, and challenges of women and men within their communities. In conservation, this is important because people may have different relationships with natural resources, including how they access, use, manage, and make decisions about them.
Understanding these differences helps us identify where there may be gaps, what support communities need, and how project activities can better respond to local experiences.
For Project ENUA, this learning will help strengthen how gender considerations are included across project activities. The team will work with consultants and partners to improve how information about women’s and men’s participation, experiences, and knowledge is collected and used to guide project planning, monitoring, and the implementation of the Gender Action Plan.
Ultimately, Project ENUA strives to make sure conservation decisions have equitable outcomes for all in our communities.
For more information, please contact projectenua@cookislands.gov.ck
