Empowering women in Southeast Asia's small-scale wood processing sector: The practitioners' perspective

Abstract

This commentary draws on field-based experience to explore strategies for promoting gender equality in Southeast Asia's small-scale wood processing sector, with a focus on micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Despite women significantly contributing to the development of these enterprises and being drivers of rural employment and economic growth, gender-focused research in the Southeast Asian wood processing sector remains limited. Most literature on gender and forest economics has concentrated on forest management and community forestry.

Addressing this gap from the practitioners' perspective, this commentary describes three broad strategies for promoting gender equality among wood-based MSMEs, tested in four Southeast Asian countries: capacity building, enhancing public engagement, and promoting inclusive value chains. The analysis is grounded in practical implementation under the European Forest Institute's Forest Smallholders Project (2018–2023), which aimed to improve gender equality and women's economic empowerment in timber value chains. Insights from the three strategies highlight pathways to increase women's access to decent work and employment opportunities in this traditionally male-dominated arena.

The commentary concludes that while all three strategies proved effective, their replication and scaling potential depend on contextual factors, available time and financial resources, and local adoption. A common feature in all three strategies is the importance of actively engaging government authorities and non-government partners, such as technical vocational schools, civil society organizations, and industry associations. The findings also reaffirm that combining gender sensitisation in technical capacity building and leadership development is more likely to be transformative when delivered alongside improved market access and other economic opportunities.