Celebrating Female Rangers in Africa
Today, Wednesday 23 June, is World Female Ranger Day – created by the UK’s How Many Elephants charity, this is their first awareness day to celebrate female wildlife rangers globally, spotlighting on African countries for 2021.
“Female rangers are bold, brave and resilient. They’re changing the game and paving the way for women to stand alongside men at the forefront of conservation.”
Currently, less than 11% of the worldwide wildlife ranger workforce are women. ‘How Many Elephants’ want to try and increase this number. They see women as natural communicators and protectors who strengthen relationships within the workplace and their communities, tuning their nurturing nature to protect wildlife. They are dedicated to changing attitudes towards the role of women in the field of conservation so have set up a dedicated website that enables women working in conservation to come together. Their platform aims to give female anti-poaching rangers across the world access to peer support – offering and receiving advice, and a place to share their stories – whilst also fundraising to support their work.
“As champions of wildlife conservation, as role models, as educators and as beacons of hope, these female rangers are not only transforming attitudes towards the role of women in Africa and beyond but are also showing the capabilities and success of females in traditionally male roles.”
Women working in conservation in Zambia
Within Zambia, some conservation organisations are already actively encouraging more women to work in wildlife. Conservation Lower Zambezi have set up their first all female anti-poaching unit – names ‘Kufadza’, meaning “Inspire”.
“When we invest in women, development is improved, poverty is reduced, and children experience better nutrition, health, and school attendance. DNPW and CLZ are embracing the importance of including women in the protection of wildlife and the first step is to enroll more females as Community Scouts”.
BioCarbon Partners has supported the training of 29 female Community Scouts, out of the 105 that they fund across 13 Chiefomes – “We see women leading, pioneering, and catalyzing at all levels in the critical fight for biodiversity protection and wildlife habitat conservation in Zambia… We are really proud to be striving for and creating strong female role models for future generations.”
Women For Conservation was set up by a group of women working here in the wildlife sector to bring everyone together and encourages young women to take up careers in the wildlife and tourism sectors. They have held a mentorship programme, get togethers, talks and more recently, online events, which support and show how women can have an active role in their future of their wildlife. You and your family can join in with their next online event on Friday 2 July – the virtual online read along with Bwalya Penza and her book – Kasuba’s Inner Safari Quest. Check out their Facebook page for details on how to join in.
The Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) has always had an equal opportunities policy – with women working as Wildlife Police Officers and Community Scouts, as well as volunteering with the Honorary Wildlife Police Officers, in a variety of conservation roles, all around the country.
Recently the DNPW joined with USAID Zambia, NGOs, private sector game ranches and community resource management groups to readdress the gender balance within local communities and the wildlife sector. Their last two training courses had equal number of male and female scouts – a first for the DNPW. With USAID support, the DNPW is examining and adapting its training program. They are introducing practices to increase the opportunities for women to become Community Scouts, challenging stereotypes that can disadvantage women on the job and helping them overcome risks, such as retribution from their families or communities for leaving their home responsibilities whilst patrols. Their efforts are not only changing gender perceptions but putting rural women on a new career path – Community Scouts who excel in the job have higher chances of then being employed as a DNPW Wildlife Police Officers.
Find out more
You can find out lots more information about this first World Female Rangers Day and read about some of the women who work in the wildlife sector across Africa at www.worldfemalerangersday.org