This International Women’s Day, let’s honour women conservation heroes

These unique perspectives mean conservation programmes are more likely to succeed when women are involved at every level, from directly protecting nature to spearheading programmes to leading teams and organisations. 

But in many places, women are excluded from meaningful participation in conservation because of social or cultural norms, patriarchal structures, and the intersection of marginalised identities—if they are women of a particular race, tribe, age, or economic status, for example.   

At IFAW, we know from experience that carefully planned conservation programmes have the power not only to protect nature but also to challenge the structures that limit women’s lives.  

This International Women’s Day, we’re highlighting some of the women who are breaking barriers in their communities, pushing the limits of scientific development, and creating a future where animals and people can thrive together. 

Craftswomen uplift their villages through small business 

Creating wildlife-friendly livelihoods for women in rural communities is essential for encouraging peaceful coexistence between people and local wildlife. 

In the Maasai community of southern Kenya, women's roles focus on raising children, cooking, and household tasks. Many women also try to earn a small income to pay for their children’s school fees by collecting firewood or tending livestock in wild habitats. These tasks can bring them into contact with wildlife like elephants, rhinos, and lions, increasing the chances of human–wildlife conflict. 

Our Inua Kijiji project gives women of the opportunity to earn an income that does not put them at risk of encountering wild animals. Translating to ‘uplift a village’, Inua Kijiji empowers women living in rural Kenya to earn money through traditional beadmaking and other artistic ventures. The project helps them access economic opportunities to educate their children, preserve their cultural identities, and protect Africa’s imperilled wildlife. 

‘Women can make our own money because of these beads,’ says Claire, an Inua Kijiji participant and Esiteti village member. ‘Right now, many ladies are very proud.’ She explains how beadmaking has enabled her to buy necessities for herself and her children, and how wildlife tourism has attracted a market for her beadwork. 

These women have been able to invest in their children’s educations and also launch micro-enterprises to supply food rations to rangers in the area. 

‘According to the traditional norms of Maasai culture, it’s only males who are allowed to be rangers, simply because they believe that we women fear wild animals like buffaloes and elephants,’ Team Lioness member Purity Lakara explains. ‘I’ve done what I can to change the way men perceive us and show them that is not who we are.’ 

Rescuing animals in disasters 

When Hurricane Otis hit Mexico's west coast in 2023, its Category 5 winds severely affected the nesting sites of critically endangered leatherback turtles. Many of the nests became covered with sand, and the devastation Otis caused heightened the risk that poachers would steal the turtle eggs or hungry, free-roaming dogs would eat them. 

IFAW’s Animal Rescue Program Officer, Dr. Erika Flores, a veterinarian, brought her wealth of rescue experience, having deployed in disasters ranging from earthquakes to floods, to support the affected people and their animals. By taking care of them and supporting the needs for the reconstruction of their incubation pens, Erika ensured that they could get back to the important work of sea turtle conservation. 

Whether after a disaster or with wellness clinics implemented as part of IFAW's Casitas Azules project, which promotes coexistence between people, dogs, and wild animals by making sure that dogs are kept away from harming marine turtles and being harmed by jaguars, Erika is there to help out. 

‘Inspiring girls to achieve their dreams is not only rewarding but deeply humbling as well,’ she says. ‘It is so important for women to take leadership roles in the field of conservation. We are all equally connected on this Earth, and we share the immense potential for creating tremendous impact. As a Mexican woman and the first Latin American female veterinarian for IFAW, I must admit—sometimes I have to pinch myself as a reminder of the life I'm living.’ 

Pioneering ways to free stranded and entangled marine mammals 

Cape Cod, Massachusetts, experiences more live mass strandings of dolphins than anywhere elsewhere in the world. Fortunately, IFAW's marine mammal rescue team leads the way in innovative research and response techniques for rescuing marine mammals in distress. 

Dr. Sarah Sharp, IFAW’s Animal Rescue Veterinarian, has been instrumental in rescuing thousands of dolphins, seals, and whales. She pioneered IFAW’s stranded dolphin satellite tagging programme, which tracks dolphins after their release back to the ocean. This programme has satellite tagged more stranded dolphins than any other in the world.  

She also used tracking data to challenge the long-held belief that healthy single dolphins could not be released because they are social creatures that wouldn’t integrate into a new pod—an idea that led well-meaning animal welfare organisations to euthanise otherwise healthy stranded dolphins. Satellite tracking helped demonstrate that these dolphins could not only survive following release but thrive at sea.   

Now, in addition to her research and hands-on rescue of entangled and stranded marine mammals, she’s also providing urgent care at IFAW’s new Dolphin Rescue Center. This first-of-its-kind rehabilitation facility provides short-term intensive care to improve survival rates for stranded dolphins and porpoises suffering from acute conditions. 

Protecting marine life and turning the tide on climate change 

Coastal ecosystems are experiencing the brunt of climate change and other threats like pollution, illegal fishing, and rapid human population growth. Marine megafauna, like sea turtles and dolphins, are victimised by these issues.  

Communities living on Kenya’s coast are no stranger to environmental degradation—so neither is Lillian Mulupi, IFAW’s Marine Conservation officer in East Africa. An ambitious advocate for the ocean, Lillian leads the charge to reduce pressures on marine ecosystems and increase protections through locally managed marine areas (LMMAs), engaging communities to become more involved in saving these precious habitats. This also includes supporting marine rangers, who patrol the seas to prevent illegal exploitation of marine life. 

Working in collaboration with governments, local fisher communities, and other stakeholders, Lillian helps educate people on sustainable, climate-smart practices that will help these key ecosystems thrive long into the future.