This seminar is part of the CFS 44 conference.
Globally, it is estimated that 1.6 billion people in varying degrees depend on forests for their livelihoods. Forests are safety nets for poor and rural communities where people can collect firewood and food, and it is often women who perform these forest-related chores. Gender, in this context, can be used as a cross-cutting issue to address the importance of forests for food security.
In Sweden, 38 % of the private forest is owned by women, while globally they are underrepresented in governing positions and ownership. Can Sweden’s work for sustainable management of the forest landscape, together with the objectives of equality and women’s empowerment, support sustainable development in the world?
In this CFS side session we highlight the sometimes ignored role of women in forest resource management. Gender roles play an important part in regulating access to resources, or shaping notions of who does what in the forest. Many times, products that are important to women are used in the household and do not generate substantial incomes, and are therefore underestimated in official statistics. We focus on the role of women, to highlight the importance of forests for food security in the poorest and most vulnerable areas of the world.
More information and a summary of the event can be found here.