Men and women often have different productive and reproductive roles with regard to forest resource management. Men and women often play different roles in planting, protecting or caring for seedlings and small trees, as well as in planting and maintaining homestead woodlots and plantations on public lands. Men tend to play a greater role than women in extracting timber and non-wood forest products for commercial purposes. Women typically gather forest products for fuel, fencing, food for the family, fodder for livestock and raw materials to produce natural medicines, which help to increase family income.
This factsheet describes how forestry impacts on women and why gender makes the difference in sustainable forestry management.
