WAVES - Weaving Leadership for Gender Equality
About WAVES
Weaving Leadership for Gender Equality (WAVES) is RECOFTC’s flagship capacity-building programme on gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) in the Asia-Pacific region. It aims at increasing leadership capacity among early-career professionals to tackle systemic inequities and marginalization that often result from the institutionalization of patriarchal norms in the forestry and landscape management sector.
WAVES is based on the idea that stronger leadership and expertise will improve inclusive policy processes and enhance investment in ways to promote gender equality. The programme is a response to our recognition that gender equality and equity are preconditions for sustainable forest governance.
Gender equality for healthy, resilient forests
Gender inequalities remain entrenched in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in the governance, management and utilization of forests and natural resources.
Despite their role and contribution, women in forest landscapes tend to have weaker rights and limited access to justice. They have less access to resources, minimal influence in decision-making processes and hold fewer positions of authority. Women struggle to gain recognition as crucial actors within forest landscapes.
Enhancing women's meaningful participation leads to better governance of local forest resources, stronger conservation efforts and more sustainable livelihoods.
WAVES emphasizes the interconnectedness of climate change, forestry, gender equality and social inclusion, and the importance of understanding these dynamics in advocating for climate and environmental justice.
Launched in 2019, WAVES is funded by Government of Sweden. It is based on the idea that having stronger leadership and expertise will improve policymaking and investments in ways that promote gender equality and social inclusion.
Creating transformative change requires identifying and supporting individuals working in forest landscape management to advocate for and negotiate such change at an institutional level.
Supporting gender leaders and champions
Through capacity building, WAVES engages participants to address forest governance challenges and seek solutions by examining case studies, and formulating and implementing change projects with the support of mentors.
From 2019 to 2022, WAVES brought together 36 professionals from across RECOFTC’s focal countries working in the academic, government, civil society, business and communication sectors to increase their understanding of relational leadership and gender equality. We worked with the group to hone their strategic thinking abilities as well as their resilience against resistance and setbacks.
Gender leaders who participated in WAVES from 2019 to 2022 say they have increased their self-awareness, leadership and negotiation skills. They have identified possible shifts for gender equality in their specific fields and countries, and have created time-bound action plans to further gender equality.
WAVES is now working with new groups of professionals to cultivate leadership and advocacy for gender equality in the face of the global climate crisis. From 2024 to 2026, 40 participants will complete a 15-month curriculum of virtual and in-person training programmes.
WAVES and communities of change
WAVES supports participants to advocate for equality and lead gender-mainstreaming programmes in their communities and institutions.
As WAVES participants set up and sustain networks of GESI leaders in the region, we continuously strengthen a unique community of practice in forest landscape management for gender justice.
Find out more
Read about the 2019 to 2022 WAVES evaluation.
Contact info@recoftc.org to learn more about the WAVES initiative and to collaborate.