By Deneita Fredericks
The critical role of females in forest conservation and management was one of the issues highlighted at a workshop on Friday that homed in on gaps in gender equality in forest-dependent communities.
The Gender and Forests Group (GFG) in collaboration with the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) and the Iwokrama Rainforest Centre on Friday hosted the workshop to also reveal findings on recent community-based research on women in forestry.
Forests are said to be invaluable ecological assets, providing a wide array of ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, clean water, and biodiversity conservation. They are also said to provide a vital source of livelihood, offering opportunities for sustenance and economic growth. However, the gender dynamics within these forest-dependent communities have long been underexplored and often overlooked.