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News / 15 October 2018

Analog Forestry: empowering women and restoring forests

Last September, approximately 30 women and men from community based organizations of Honduras and El Salvador learned the tool of analog forestry which uses natural forests as guides to create ecologically stable and socio-economically productive landscapes.

The workshop "Women, Rights and Forests" empowered women from Honduras and El Salvador with a methodology to restore degraded ecosystems. The participants have committed to lead in restoring land in their communities and farms, as they increase resilience and promote respect for women's rights.

Analog Forestry important tool for women

"Forests are disappearing at an unprecedented rate that endangers the existence of human beings, and women will be more affected. Decision makers should promote and support women as key actors in restoration and sustainable management of forests and farms", said Isabel Macdonald, of the office the Secretariat of the International Analog Forestry Network (IAFN).

The IAFN promotes Analog Forestry to face the problems of deforestation, monocultures and the degradation of forest ecosystems. Together with the Global Alliance for Green and Gender Actions (GAGGA), the workshop allowed a mutual exchange of experiences on food sovereignty, forest restoration and conservation and defense of the land from the perspective of women.

"We have learned that for rural women with their families, to cultivate the plot is to cultivate life and this makes them guardians of nature. Therefore our challenge is to strengthen their capacities to ensure equity in access to water, soil, forests and their biodiversity", says Ibis Colindres, Director of the Living Earth Fund.

Balance between conservation and use of forests

"The seed has been planted for the possibility of achieving a balance between conservation and use of the forest, to improve women's economic opportunities and respect for their rights", says Carolina Sorzano, member of the IAFN trainers network who was joined by co- trainer, Geovanny Quirós. Workshop participants committed to promote the implementation of Analog Forestry on their farms for forest conservation and rehabilitation of degraded lands.

The workshop was convened by the International Analog Forestry Network (IAFN), the Living Earth Fund and the Association of Ecological Committees of Southern Honduras within the framework of the Global Alliance for Green and Gender Action (GAGGA Alliance). It received the valuable support of the Central American Women's Fund (FCAM).

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