An investment project in Mexico is enabling women from Indigenous and local communities to take an informed and active role in sustainable forest management. It provides them with access to finance, building capacity, and technical proficiency to develop the necessary skills to market forest and agroforestry products, as well as improve their incomes and livelihoods.
In this brief, we explore how the inclusion of several affirmative actions in the design and implementation of project activities has allowed Indigenous women to engage in productive undertakings despite insecure rights. We examine how women are being gradually integrated into decision-making and empowered in land management processes within their communities, creating both environmental and social benefits.
Uniquely for a project implemented in multiple sites with a principle focus on reducing
deforestation, the Mexico Dedicated Grant Mechanism (DGM) for Indigenous Peoples and
Local Communities Project, and use of the W+ Standard—an internationally recognized
certification standard that measures women’s empowerment—provide us with hard
evidence of how such efforts are not only reaping environmental benefits, but measurable
and valuable social gains as well. This has long posed a significant challenge, requiring
innovative approaches to effectively capture full impact and value of projects.
Authors: K. Siegmann, M. Gonzalez Sanudo, P. Kristjanson, J. Mollins, B. Gurung, J. Gurung, I. Angulo, R. Martinez
Source: FOLUR
