WAVES: Weaving Leadership for Gender Equality in Nepal 2019–2022

WAVES, or Weaving Leadership for Gender Equality, is a RECOFTC initiative on gender equality in the governance of forest landscapes in Asia–Pacific. It was created to strengthen leadership and expertise to improve policymaking and investments that promote gender equality and social inclusion.

WAVES built a network of 36 gender leaders from seven countries. In Nepal, seven WAVES gender leaders from the government,  grass-roots women’s networks and the media were supported.  They trained government staff, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, journalists,  women’s groups and students and set up a 700-member Female Foresters Network. 

This report is the result of an evaluation conducted in 2021 to capture the results and learnings, with inputs from gender leaders and partners from Nepal. It finds an increased understanding of relational leadership and gender equality among gender leaders. WAVES built their abilities to think strategically, shift power dynamics and become resilient against challenges. 

The evaluation also highlights challenges faced and best practices and recommendations for future action to make forest landscapes more equal and inclusive.