Gender and Youth
We work to mainstream youth strategies, gender responsive and gender transformative action in all our activities and programmes
Gender, age-based discrimination – along with other forms of marginalisation, such as race, class, and ability – are deeply intertwined with the global challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change, and food security. Women and youth, particularly those from marginalised groups, face significant and disproportionate barriers to accessing, owning, and controlling forest landscape resources, and are often excluded from governance decisions, policy development, and participation in management and productive activities. This exclusion not only perpetuates their exc but it undermines the resilience of the socio-ecological system as a whole, hindering the effectiveness and long-term success of solutions to global landscape challenges.
Join us for a youth-led conversation about how traditional knowledge strengthens youth's connection to their territories and safeguards biodiversity at CDB COP16 on October, 24th.
The upcoming edition of our Tropical Forest Issues (TFI63) will focus on the role of women as stewards of forests, highlighting their leadership, participation, and contributions to sustainable forest management, conservation, and use.
In Suriname a group of Saamaka women are a shining example of what empowered women can achieve when they come together and work towards a common goal. They have transformed themselves from a small group of women with a vision into a powerful force for change in their community.
Youth empowerment is crucial to encourage creative thinking and to ensure that they are equipped to participate in decision making processes to find local solutions to address the challenges in their communities and landscapes.
In a groundbreaking move, as part of MoMo4C, Tropenbos Ghana has launched a Waste-to-Energy pilot project in the Sefwi Wiawso Juaboso Bia (SWJB) landscape with an all-women cocoa cooperative. By turning cocoa waste into a valuable resource, this model aims to create new avenues for income generation, livelihood diversification, and long-term sustainability in the landscape, particularly for women and young smallholder farmers.
After participating in a youth exchange in June 2023 youth leaders from the Amazonia in Bolivia, Colombia and Suriname proposed three strategic actions to be included in programmes in the region. The actions relate to knowledge, inclusion and incidence, and well-being.
Monitte Lantas is a Tagbanua Indigenous youth leader from Narra, Palawan, Philippines. She is the President of Nagkakaisang Kabataang Katutubong Narra (NKKN) and part of the Board of Trustee of UGNAYIN National Indigenous Youth Network Philippines.
Rosalina Pesoa is a youth leader of the Monkoxi Nation. She is part of Lomerio’s Indigenous Women Organization (OMIML), Comunidad Monterito’s Chief Leader, and partner of the community-based economic organisation OECOM Monterito, which cultivates and transforms Almendra Chiquitana (Chiquitana almond) products.
Camilo Yepes is a young Indigenous leader from the Yucuna people in Colombia. For several years, he has participated, together with other young people, in a process of strengthening traditional dances and songs led by grandparents and elders.
Denis Omondi is a Baganda youth leader and field project officer at Uganda's Ecological Trends Alliance (ETA). He was a teacher and has been working at ETA for five years, mainly supporting the implementation of field activities and stakeholder engagement. He has also been at the forefront of youth, women, and disadvantaged groups in conservation within the Green Livelihoods Alliance (GLA) programme.
Biza Akienboto is a Saamaka youth leader from Suriname and also one of the grassroots of the VSG (Association of Saamaka Traditional Communities) youth group, where young people are strengthened in good governance.