This study is a part of the Joint Initiative of the USAID-funded LEAF Project, WOCAN, and the UN-REDD Programme to investigate practical entry points for women’s inclusion in Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) policies and practices. It explores the current status and implementation of policies and practices related to gender equality in forestry and other natural resource management sectors in the Philippines, and their relation to REDD+ initiatives. An effort was made to identify the elements that prevent the inclusion of women in REDD+ in the Philippines, as well as the factors that enable their inclusion in policies and practices. Given the emerging and unfolding state of REDD+, an exploration of gender issues in REDD+ was tied to the overall status of women’s inclusion in the broader NRM sector. Data for this study was collected using desk reviews, key-informant interviews and field site interactions at Atimonan, Quezon. The early findings were then presented through a national dialogue for further discussion and validation, which led to identification of practical entry points and key recommendations for improving effectiveness of natural resource management and REDD+ through greater inclusion of women in forest policies and programs.
