TRIPS and biodiversity: a gender perspective

Overview

Gene Campaign is a movement involving organisations across Asia, working towards food and livelihood security for rural and tribal communities. It is deeply concerned about the negative impacts of privatisation on genetic resources through patenting and intellectual property rights. Biological resources are the mainstay of the livelihoods and local economies of communities in developing countries. Ensuring access to these resources is essential to their being able to engage in self-reliant growth. Women who are closely involved with the maintenance of biological resources are also its most sophisticated users, in feeding and looking after their families. The privatisation of these resources would undermine the ability of women to care for their families and seriously jeopardise the health and security of rural and tribal populations.

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