African community leaders know that women play essential roles in restoring land and forests, even though it is not always easy for them to contribute. However, do high-level decision makers grasp the unrealized potential of women’s leadership? Taking cues from grassroots experiences can help regional restoration initiatives improve their chances of success.
Late last year, African community leaders put together a manifesto that underscores how important communities are for successful restoration. It also provides cues on how to accelerate restoration in Africa, with two points explicitly calling out the need to include women on equal footing with men.
Women prepare okok seedlings in Minwoho, Cameroon. Photo by O. Girard/CIFOR
