Enviro News Asia, Rome — The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has introduced a new framework aimed at strengthening women’s leadership and entrepreneurship across global forest economies.
The initiative was unveiled in Rome ahead of the celebration of International Women’s Day on 8 March. The framework, known as the “4 WINS” approach, was presented in a newly released FAO paper titled “When Women Transform Forestry: The 4 WINS Approach Towards Equitable Entrepreneurship and Leadership Across the Forest Sector.”
The 4 WINS model stands for Wider Access, Innovation, Natural Resources Conservation, and Sustainable Practices, providing a strategic pathway to promote gender equality while supporting sustainable forest management and inclusive economic growth along forest value chains.
According to FAO, nearly one billion women worldwide depend directly on forests for their livelihoods. However, structural barriers—including limited land rights, restricted access to finance and markets, and unequal participation in decision-making—continue to constrain their economic opportunities in the forest sector.
Zhimin Wu, Assistant Director-General and Director of the Forestry Division at FAO, stated that strengthening women’s leadership can significantly improve outcomes in forest management and local economies. He emphasized that the 4 WINS framework demonstrates how gender equality, sustainable resource use, and economic development can reinforce each other.
The approach outlines four key pathways to support inclusive forest economies. These include expanding women’s access to markets, financing, and governance processes; encouraging innovation through diverse knowledge systems; promoting conservation and restoration through equitable resource stewardship; and advancing sustainable practices that enhance forest resilience and livelihoods.
Evidence presented in the FAO study draws on experiences from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The findings show that when women gain secure rights, access to technology, and a stronger role in governance, positive impacts emerge across multiple areas, including income generation, biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem restoration.
FAO also highlighted several global initiatives that demonstrate the effectiveness of women-led forest enterprises. These include the Forest and Farm Facility, Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme, Mountain Partnership, and the Women’s Caucus for Art of the Nexus Initiative, which support community-based forest management and women’s collective action.
Through the implementation of the 4 WINS framework, FAO encourages governments, development partners, and private sector stakeholders to strengthen policies and investments that empower women within forest value chains.
The organization believes that integrating gender equality into forest governance and entrepreneurship can accelerate progress toward sustainable development, resilient landscapes, and inclusive economic growth. (*)
