Empowering rural women is at the heart of ITTO’s mission

With ITTO support, a women’s association in Côte d’Ivoire adopted eco-friendly techniques and restored hectares of forest lands for sustainable wood supply. © Afrique Green Side

Recognizing and expanding the critical role of rural women in the sustainable management of tropical forests and trade in legally and sustainably produced tropical timber and forest products is central to the mission of ITTO, its Executive Director said.

ITTO reaffirmed its commitment to supporting women in the conservation and sustainable use of tropical forests on the International Day of Rural Women, held on 15 October every year to highlight the role of gender equality and women’s empowerment in fighting poverty, hunger, and malnutrition.

“Securing the rights of women enables half of humanity to fulfil its potential,” ITTO Executive Director Sheam Satkuru said. “Enhancing and harnessing their skills, knowledge, and networks are crucial to bring sustainable development to countries and communities everywhere, especially in rural areas.”

Women in the work of ITTO

In most rural communities, women are the primary collectors and users of forest resources, including woodfuel, foods, and medicinal products. They often possess substantial traditional knowledge that contributes to sustainable forest management, making them key actors in forest conservation and the restoration of tropical forests. Women also make significant contributions to forest value chains, generating household income and supporting poverty reduction. 

ITTO has long acknowledged and promoted the role of women in the forestry and forest products sector across the tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Latin America. The ITTO’s Gender Equality & Empowerment of Women (GEEW) guidelines further strengthen the integration of gender considerations into its policy work, programmes and projects.

Examples of ITTO-funded projects supporting rural women in fostering sustainable development include:

• Charcoal production in Côte d’Ivoire – ITTO funding assisted a women’s association to adopt more efficient, eco-friendly techniques in the production of charcoal, and to restore a 100-hectare area of forest to generate a sustainable supply of wood.
• Secondary forest management in Colombia – An ongoing ITTO project is using enrichment planting and agroforestry systems to support community members, many of them women, to sustainably manage secondary forest and raise their living standards.
• Forest landscape restoration in Togo – This initiative enabled women to adopt improved agroforestry practices, facilitated skill acquisition, provided employment and financial independence, while contributing to the restoration of degraded lands.

International action

This year’s International Day of Rural Women comes as the international community also marks the 30^th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a visionary blueprint for action to achieve equal rights for women and girls.

A recent UN report found that, while countries have taken many steps to empower women, for instance by increasing their access to employment and education, discrimination remains embedded in many economies and societies.

“In the tropics and beyond, the advancement of women’s rights and empowerment remains incomplete,” Ms Satkuru said. “With the support of its members, ITTO will continue to mainstream the empowerment of women into all of its work, knowing that this is vital to achieving equal sustainability and prosperity for all.”