Gender and Forest Education: An Open Letter by IFSA

IFSA has just released its Open Letter on Gender and Forest Education, supported by a video release featuring a variety of its members. We aim to empower students, strengthen their voice and contribute to ongoing efforts and research within the field.

Gender inequality in forest education remains a critical topic, affecting everyone within the field. Outdated practices, traditions and sentiments remain within forestry science and practice, making the field not equally accessible to everyone. The IFSA engagement at the Forests in Women’s Hands Conference in April 2021 sparked an idea within IFSA to take a clear stand and call for gender-equal forest education. The Open Letter is a result of collaborative work of IFSA members and their strong motivation to make forest education more inclusive. Such a clear statement from a students’ perspective highlights the need for action – improving education for current and future students and a better start for the next generation of forestry professionals. 

The Open Letter contains 4 main demands that are supported by sub-demands and call for a change and a strengthening of FINTA* within forestry science and practices: 

  1. Counteract structural discrimination through establishing courses on gender awareness within the forestry sector 
  2. Implement a gender-aware learning environment
  3. Introduce and highlight role models for FINTA* students
  4. Increase existing knowledge and networks

The Open Letter was sent out to forestry universities and departments, organisations and policymakers, to call for a swift transformation towards more gender-aware and inclusive practices in forest education. 

We call upon everyone to share the letter with fellow students, lecturers, teachers, policymakers and friends. We encourage you to use our open letter as a point of departure for discussions and changes towards more gender-aware education within forestry.

For ideas, feedback or questions contact: gender@ifsa.net
 
Download our full letter in English, Indonesian, Spanish or Turkish or read the English version here: