The Gender Gap in Forestry: Where Do We Stand?

By Leila Rossa Mouawad

The forestry sector has long been perceived as male-dominated due to ongoing gender norms, prejudices and structural inequalities. In many countries, socio-economic, political and cultural barriers continue to exclude and marginalize women, particularly when it comes to leadership and decision-making roles.

However, some countries are actively setting models in gender-inclusive forestry sectors. For instance, in the Philippines, women outnumber men in forestry courses, and they occupy more senior positions in the Forest Management Bureau. In Nepal, the government created a national legal framework composed of laws, policies and strategies aiming to protect women’s rights and promote gender equality in the forestry sector. Lastly, in Finland, 40% of private forest owners are women, and the country has the largest proportion of women in forest owners’ organizations.

Why women matter in forestry:

In many places, women have long been key workers in the forestry sector, with some contributions being strictly gender-differentiated. Today, an estimated 1 billion women worldwide rely on forests for their livelihoods, engaging in activities such as gathering food, medicine, fuelwood, fodder, among other products for subsistence use. However, this role varies depending on the geographic region and social context.

In general, women perceive forests as a precious natural resource that need to be conserved, rather than purely as an economic asset to be exploited. The experience of the Latin American Model Forest Network highlights the distinctive role and unique benefits brought by the inclusion of women in the forestry sector. This reveals that when women are involved, outcomes are often more holistic and oriented towards conservation.

Women at the forefront:

The relatively more inclusive forestry sector that we know today has been fought for by women before us who selflessly paved the way for younger generations. Across all branches of forestry, there have been female leaders challenging gender norms:

1. Advocacy
   Wangari Maathai - Kenyan politician and environmental activist whose legacy still lives on. She founded the Green Belt Movement and was outspoken and among the first to step out of traditional gender roles in Kenya and Africa.

2. Communication
   Maria De Cristofaro - Outreach and capacity building officer at the Forestry Division of FAO. She is the mastermind behind the regional forest communicator’s networks which promote communication and dialogue on forestry issues across borders.

3. Research
   Daniela Kleinschmit – current and first female president of the International Union for Forest Research Organization. She held multiple academic positions and led projects at national and international levels, resulting in a range of publications.

Figure 1 Few inspiring female leaders in the forestry sector

What women in forestry have to say:

To better understand current gender dynamics in the forestry sector, a survey was conducted targeting women working in the field across different regions, roles, and stages in their careers. A few highlights from the 102 responses received and the lived experience of diverse women in a sector long shaped by gender imbalance are included below:

Figure 2 Chart from the survey responses rating the inclusivity of the forestry sector over 5

On average, the surveyed women believe that the forestry sector remains only partially inclusive. While the average inclusivity rate is 2.75 out of 5, certain patterns emerged in relation to the experience of respondents. Junior women in the early stages of their career (less than three years of experience) were the most optimistic, giving the highest average score. Meanwhile, those with five to ten years in the sector (typically the phase when leadership opportunities arise) reported lower levels of inclusivity.

The kind of work women do also shaped their lived experiences. Those in advocacy, planning, or communications often felt more empowered. However, in other roles that require practical field operations, women reported daily struggles: being questioned, overlooked, or isolated in environments where their presence still seems to be a rare exception.

In summary, all respondents highlighted structural and cultural barriers that are manifested in:

1. Limited access to leadership positions and decision-making roles, which is linked to systemic biases in recruitment and career advancement for women in forestry.
2. Societal discouragement and gender-biased cultural norms discouraging women from joining the sector and pressuring them to go for more "acceptable" roles.
3. Difficulty maintaining work-life balance, reflected in structural challenges to balance field-intensive work with family or imposed caregiving responsibilities.

Figure 3 Chart from the survey responses highlighting the top challenges faced by women

Despite these challenges and other invisible barriers, women cited key enablers that help them break through and advance in the sector. Those include mentorship, education, training, professional networks, and in some countries institutional support and supportive policies such as gender quotas and maternity leave. Notably, personal resilience & self-advocacy was noted as the most important enabler.

Many women shared that navigating unequal systems has sharpened their abilities and resilience: adaptability, collaborative thinking, and a strong drive to lead. These capacities have often been shaped by the caregiving roles historically expected of women. Today, these abilities serve as powerful assets, as forestry evolves toward more participatory and community-centered models.

The way forward:

Moving forward, gender mainstreaming is essential to promote equality and equity in the forestry sector. This involves efforts to raise awareness, build capacities, generate and analyze gender-segregated data, and ensure women’s equal participation for the progress of entire communities. To conclude this article, 4 priority areas for intervention are recommended:

1. Reframing forestry as an inclusive career path:
   Work is needed to promote the forestry sector as an inclusive space to encourage young women to pursue related careers. Through communications and awareness campaigns, the wide spectrum of careers and female leaders in the forestry sector can be highlighted. This would help dismantle social stereotypes that limit women from reaching their full potential and pursuing their passion.

2. Collecting and using gender-disaggregated data:
   Gender data needs to be collected to understand disparities in the sector and guide the development of evidence-based policies. Such data should not only reflect quantitatively the number of women in the sector, but also qualitatively their perspectives, values, concerns and needs. In this regard, the European Forest Institute’s framework for making country-level situation analyses of gender equality and gender dimensions in the forest sector should be adopted to inform gender-sensitive strategies.

3. Creating inclusive policy frameworks:
   Policies that fully recognize the needs and particularities of women in forestry are essential for long-term change. This includes enforcing gender quotas, developing family-friendly work environments, and embedding gender equality principles into forest governance at all levels.

4. Valuing complementarity and engaging others as allies:
   Gender equality is not an issue exclusive to women; it is a collective responsibility. Everyone has a role to play in reshaping male-dominated environments into inclusive ones by recognizing inequalities, questioning privileges, and creating spaces for women’s voices. Rather than framing inclusion as unfair competition, we must promote complementarity; when women, men and non-binary individuals work together, each bringing their unique perspectives, the sector becomes more diverse, adaptive and better equipped to address today’s complex challenges.

This overview underscores a critical reality: while women have always contributed to forestry, their role has often been invisible or undervalued. Today, as the sector transitions towards more sustainable, community-centered approaches, women's perspectives are more essential than ever.

Achieving gender equality in forestry will require sustained institutional commitment, policy reforms and continued advocacy to challenge gender norms. Only by recognizing and addressing existing structural barriers can we unlock the full potential of women as agents of change in building a more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable forestry sector.