From left to right: José Vicente Troya Rodríguez, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program; Juan Luis Bermudez Madriz, Minister of Human Development and Executive President of the Mixed Institute of Social Assistance; Pamela Castillo Barahona, Vice Minister of Natural Resources, Ministry of Environment and Energy; Epsy Campbell Barr, First Vice President of the Republic of Costa Rica; Marianella Feoli Peña, Director of Fundecooperación para el Desarrollo Sostenible; Patricia Mora Castellanos, Minister for the Status of Women, National Institute for Women.
- Initiative “+ Mujeres + Natura” will make available three financial instruments to mitigate the economic impacts generated by COVID-19.
- Biodiversity managers, agricultural producers, ecotourism entrepreneurs, scientists and researchers will be able to access credits with favorable conditions to finance their activities.
- “It is a unique program in Latin America and the Caribbean, which makes Costa Rica a world benchmark for concrete actions that guarantee the linking of nature, gender equality and the empowerment of women,” said Vice President Epsy Campbell.
Within the framework of the International Day for Biological Diversity and as a strategy to mitigate the socio-economic impacts generated by the global pandemic by COVID-19, the Government of Costa Rica launched this Friday the + Mujeres + Natura program, aimed at environmental managers.
The initiative, led by the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Office of the First Vice President of the Republic, aims to strengthen the economic autonomy of women, face gender gaps in nature management and progress towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
At a press conference in the auditorium of the Presidential House, Vice President Epsy Campbell Barr reported that + Mujeres + Natura is a unique program in Latin America and the Caribbean, which is why Costa Rica becomes a world benchmark in the search for concrete actions to guarantee the link between nature, gender equality and the empowerment of women.
“We are providing a package of opportunities for all those biodiversity managers that are going through a difficult situation. The sustainable development of our country is only possible if women participate actively and if they have a fundamental role in the management of nature ”said Campbell.
He stressed that Costa Rica “has understood that the conservation of natural resources is vital for human progress. While uncontrolled logging occurred in the world in the 70s, in our country ambitious environmental protection policies were applied, which have resulted in solutions based on nature. Today the forest cover reaches 52% of the national territory ”.
In the announcement of the + Mujeres + Natura program, the Minister of Human Development and Social Inclusion, Juan Luis Bermúdez; the Minister of the Condition of Women, Patricia Mora; the Deputy Minister of the Environment, Pamela Castillo; the UNDP resident representative, José Vicente Troya; and the director of Fundecooperación, Mariella Feoli.
Vice Minister Castillo explained that, as one of the first actions of the initiative, three financial mechanisms will be made available to inject resources into women that contribute to safeguarding Costa Rican natural capital, at a crucial moment like the one we are living in.
Castillo presented the first actions of the + Mujeres + Natura program:
- FONAFIFO credit by your side, to promote economic development and improve the quality of life of rural women.
It is a financing line of up to five million colones with fiduciary guarantee, a term of ten years and a fixed rate of 4% per year for productive development, working capital, infrastructure, equipment and innovative projects related to the forest.
There are also other credit lines for higher amounts with another type of guarantee (mortgage, security or pledge).
With simple requirements, women who want to apply for this credit should call 2545-3500 or visit the website www.fonafifo.go.cr . - WOMEN NATURA Credit , to integrate the gender perspective, equality and the empowerment of women in the management of biodiversity.
This is a financing line granted by Fundecooperación, of up to ten million colones, with a maximum term of five years.
Those who do not have a mortgage, security, pledge or trust guarantee can request the FIDEIMAS guarantee.
Women who want to apply for this credit should call 2225-4507, write a WhatsApp at 8615-2112 or visit the website www.fundecooperacion.org - Payment of Environmental Services to women .. Starting this Monday, FONAFIFO will prioritize the Payment of Environmental Services (PES), to women owners of forests and forest plantations.
The PSA consists of a financial recognition by the State for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, protecting biodiversity and water, as well as the scenic beauty service provided by forests.
Women who want to apply for the PSA should call 2545-3500 or visit the website www.fonafifo.go.cr .
“With the + Mujeres + Natura Program, we want the biodiversity sector to be a cornerstone to strengthen the enterprises carried out by women, move many of them to formality, as well as give them more opportunities and decent working conditions,” said the vice minister Castillo.
The Minister for the Status of Women, Patricia Mora, highlighted that this initiative will facilitate the framework of the National Policy on Gender Equality in the biodiversity sector.
“Rural women use 26 more hours of time associated with unpaid domestic work, which makes it difficult for them to participate in spaces of environmental leadership. That must change and that is why we believe that the + Mujeres + Natura Program will make a substantive change, ”said Mora.
The UNDP resident representative in Costa Rica, José Vicente Troya Rodríguez, stressed that “today more than ever, it is necessary to recognize women for their contributions and their leading role to advance towards sustainable development and the economic well-being of the communities and the country. ”.
“The time has come to join all parties and generate efforts that transcend administrations and that add to reduce the impacts of COVID-19,” he added.
Original note: PNUD Costa Rica – Costa Rica lanza programa financiero para mujeres que protegen los recursos naturales
