Promoting innovative pathways toward women’s entrepreneurship in forestry
Key government, civil society and private sector representatives from different countries around the world gathered from 20 to 22 February 2024 at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for a workshop on women's entrepreneurship in forestry. Organized by the Forestry Division of FAO, the event encouraged in-depth reflection and dialogue around innovative solutions toward a gender-responsive forest sector, by harnessing the expertise of diverse stakeholders, including women entrepreneurs.
The workshop opened with Mr. Zhimin Wu, Director of the FAO Forestry Division. Mr. Wu shed light on the often-untapped potential of women entrepreneurs in developing and emerging markets, given the lack of access to the financial services, skills and opportunities needed to become successful business owners, beyond the informal economy. In contrast, Mr. Wu, emphasized the need for inclusive and gender-transformative value chains interventions, since “women's full, effective, and equitable participation can increase equality and improve resource management, economic and dietary outcomes.”
Mrs. Clara Park, Senior Gender Officer of the Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division of FAO, highlighted the mutual reinforcement between economic development and equal rights for women, which must go hand in hand: ‘Where business is good for women, women are good for business. Not only will this ensure a better overall participation of women, who can contribute their unique skills and expertise, but also lead to a Better Life in local communities, Better Production due to utilized skills, and Better Nutrition for families, while simultaneously achieving the Sustainable Development Goals’.
The event was facilitated by Mrs. Lorena Aguilar, Executive Director of the Kaschak Institute for Social Justice for women and girls. Mrs. Aguilar stimulated a collective reflection on the obstacles and enabling factors of women’s empowerment in forestry, developing concrete proposals to better promote female entrepreneurship along the forest sector value chains.
Working group opportunities
The working group sessions provided a unique opportunity for women entrepreneurs to share and cross-pollinate successful experiences, fostering mutual learning and growth. Moreover, the policymakers who participated in the workshop could share precise recommendations with the women entrepreneurs and the Civil Society Organizations active in both online discussions and in the conference room, which paves the way for a supportive policy environment for gender-transformative approaches and women-led business development.
Participants will now seek to apply the newly gained knowledge and skills in their work. “This workshop was useful because I learned how to better valorize our products with the intercultural and intergenerational know-how.” In addition, this experience motivates me to improve my efforts and commitment throughout my country” commented Catarina Dias from the Angolan cooperative Mama Weda. Another participant, Bharati Pathak from the Federation of Community Forestry Users Nepal, added: “This opportunity to share and learn from various successful cases gave me many ideas on how we can be more innovative in our branding communication and how we could use technologies”.
Similarly, Alima Sangito, Executive Director of Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency of Ghana, attested to the transformative power of the exchange, stating, "We are motivated to keep moving along with women and vulnerable groups to facilitate their forest-based livelihoods through sustainable practices, while also supporting advocacy for gender-inclusive policies and legal environments. The workshop has empowered us to know that, as women leading and working within the forest and farm environment, there are success stories and practical case studies to be proud of."
In conclusion, Mauro Bottaro, Gender Mainstreaming and Human Rights Specialist of the FAO Forestry Division, underscored the critical shift in perspective regarding the role of women in forestry. No longer relegated to the sidelines as mere collectors of non-wood forest products, women are recognized as essential contributors to both community-based livelihoods and income-generating activities within forest management. As Mauro Bottaro aptly puts it, "Forests without women have no future."
Echoing this sentiment, Thomas Hofer, Senior Forestry Officer of the FAO Forestry Division, remarked: “This workshop showed the indispensable role that women play in the future of forests. Your participation was invaluable for us to gather extremely useful information for the sector, as champions of sustainable forestry practices”. He encouraged the participants to make maximum use of the information and experiences acquired during the workshop in their countries and institutions.
Check out the workshop’s photos here.