You would think that a group of 23 women discussing risks and negative side effects of marine conservation projects would instinctively think about impacts to women. What a collective surprise it was when the facilitator brought to everyone’s attention that this group had overlooked women’s needs! Two days of diving into the Risk and Negative Side Effects (R+NSE) Assessment tool that included learning about its rationale and step-by-step application through real life case studies as well identifying opportunities for its application in work contexts formed the core of a training workshop held on 27th and 28th September, 2025 in Mombasa, Kenya.
The journey towards the training workshop started earlier in the year with the collaboration between the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM) and the Network for Women in Marine Science (WiMS) to develop the capacity of women and mainstream gender in marine and conservation work. Following two webinars in March and June, the R+NSE workshop was an opportunity to introduce the R+NSE tool in order to bring to the fore considerations for addressing Gender, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion into the heart of marine and coastal conservation work.
The R+NSE tool is designed to anticipate the social and economic costs that may be incurred by people, projects or even nature as a result of implementing conservation projects. The tool is most effective if used during the planning and design stages of projects although it can be applied at any point of the project cycle. A significant consideration when using the R+NSE tool is that interventions could exclude or harm different groups in varied ways. Hence, it is important to customise the tool as women, men, youth, elderly and vulnerable people interact with marine resources differently.
There are 5 steps in the R+NSE assessment. First, possible risks and negative side effects are identified and then their probability and magnitude analysed. The third step involves identification of mitigation measures which is followed by their integration into the project. In the fifth step, suitable indicators for monitoring are identified and integrated in the project monitoring plan. Visual displays are extremely useful when conducting the assessment and results chains are handy when using the tool.
So what did we learn in our workshop experience? First, that clarity is key. That external risks are not the same as unintended outcomes and both need to be identified. Secondly, that the real representatives of different groups should be involved during the discussions. In our case, although being women, we did not think about differentiated impacts to women. As we reflected, we also realised there are further delineations, for example younger women may have different interactions with resources from elderly women. It is also at this point that we reminded ourselves of the need to analyse the probabilities and magnitudes as per the second step of the tool and focus on risks and effects with higher probability and magnitude. Thirdly, we appreciated the need for safe spaces for the R+NSE discussions and an awareness of gender and cultural sensitivities so that all voices are heard and people feel comfortable to speak.
As the workshop came to a close, the ladies reflected back on the two days of learning and engagement. Some immediately identified projects in which they could apply the R+NSE tool while others will make future considerations in their work. The workshop was eye opening in matters R+NSE as well as an opportunity for women across the Western Indian Ocean to connect. Indeed, the ladies agreed to create a whatsapp group to share their experiences and continue learning as they use the R+NSE tool. Participants were drawn from Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Reunion, Seychelles as well as a group from Liberia, right across the continent.
