Mermaid song: Women who inspire our relationship with the ocean from a gender dimension perspective

Civil society organizations have various ways of making an impact in marine conservation. They act as advocates, experts, managers, stewards, and facilitators, promoting long-term actions for the well-being of the people and the ecosystems. Likewise, these organizations provide focus to the work and facilitate action among stakeholders, as they develop trust, communication and shared responsibilities for the benefit of our blue planet. Our work is based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals to ensure “no one is left behind”. This new framework for biological diversity, where we are all equal agents of sustainable development, especially prepares us for the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development whose main goal is to support efforts to reverse the cycle of decline in ocean health and create improved conditions for sustainable development.

During this decade, we will be working in coordination with our partners to have the ocean we need for the future we want.

Message from Ph.D. Martha Delgado. Assistant Secretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

To celebrate World Oceans Day, on June 8, the Intercultural Center for the Study of Deserts and Oceans (CEDO Intercultural), in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, the United Nations Environment Program ( UNEP) and the National Commission for the Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO), organized a dialogue with a group of outstanding women who share their life stories and their love for the sea. The talk began with a message from Undersecretary Martha Delgado, followed by the Representative of the United Nations Program, Dolores Barrientos Alemán. After these presentations, Ivette Mota from CONABIO explained the logistics of the event and passed the mic to CEDO Intercultural’s executive director, Nélida Barajas Acosta, to continue the story.

The thread of the story took participants from a small town on the coast of Sonora where the commercial fisherwoman-diver Elvia Barreras lives, and plunged us to the bottom of the ocean to explore its biodiversity with Dr. Elva Escobar. We began our ascent in freediving with Camila Jaber, who then passed the torch to Valeria Mass, a renowned underwater photographer.  We came back to the surface with Iliana Ortega, who took us on a boat trip from the Gulf of California to the clean beaches of Oaxaca where Virginia Hernández works. And finally, Dr. Evelia Ribera connected coastal conservation with climate change. Each of these women transported us with their experiences to worlds that are well-known to some and very new to many.

About 500 guests joined us on this online dialogue and we received more than 750 comments. To date, more than 14,000 people have seen the video of the event.

I imagine you reading these lines and I see your imagination traveling through your memories, feeling the sea breeze that fills your heart with happiness.

Please join the Intercultural Center for the Study of the Deserts and Oceans (CEDO) and team up with us to continue this global conservation effort by changing our consumer habits, supporting our local economy, taking part in a beach or neighborhood clean-up, participating in outdoor activities, and learning more about our local biodiversity.