26-02-2016 - Gender-inclusive communication is a powerful tool that can be strategically used to improve women’s participation in sustainable forest and other natural resource management, a session at the Asia-Pacific Forestry Week heard today.

The session, Gender-inclusive Communication for Achieving SDGs, determined the importance of communication strategies that consciously target both men and women in view of Sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

Women play a central role in the use, management and conservation of forest resources across Asia-Pacific but are still largely excluded from decision-making.

Speakers working on forestry and gender equality from government agencies, research institutes, civil society organisations and communities discussed strategies to foster gender-inclusive communication through the production, dissemination and use of information. 
With around 16 percent of the world’s population illiterate – three-quarters of whom are women – the session discussed the importance of choosing effective communication channels, including investigating channels such as theatre, radio listeners’ clubs and film screenings.
Participants concluded that best practices on gender-inclusive communication need to be more widely shared and adopted among forest institutions and organizations in the region.
The session was organized by FAO, the Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP), the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), and the Center for People and Forests (RECOFTC).