Training of Trainers: Gender Mainstreaming in Community Forest Management Groups, Central Province, Zambia (102)

Initiative Details 

Tai #102 | Country: Zambia (Central Province) | Requesting Organization: Ministry of Green Economy and Environment and Forestry Department | Technical Experts: ESSA Technologies Ltd. and RuralNet Associates Ltd. | Thematic area: Gender-responsive community forestry, forest governance and climate resilience 

Original request / issue 

The requesting organizations sought technical assistance to strengthen gender mainstreaming in Community Forest Management Groups (CFMGs). Although Zambia has strong forestry and climate policies, gender equality was not systematically integrated into community forestry governance, benefit sharing, forest enterprises, or carbon market participation, limiting women’s influence, access to resources, and climate-related opportunities. 

Observable change(s) 

• District Forest Officers, NGO partners, traditional leaders and gender specialists now have practical tools and training to support gender-responsive community forestry and equitable benefit sharing. 
• Gender considerations were integrated into draft updates to Zambia’s community forestry guidelines and into new guidance for CFMG participation in forest carbon projects. 
• A province-wide network of trained CFMG support actors was established, creating an emerging community of practice around gender-responsive forest management 

Who changed / Who uses the result 

The primary users are District Forest Officers, Forestry Department staff, NGO partners, traditional leaders, and other actors supporting CFMGs across Central Province. These actors are now using the training materials, gender analysis tools, draft guideline updates, and carbon-readiness guidance to strengthen CFMG governance and gender mainstreaming.  

Evidence supporting the change 

• Twenty-nine participants from government, NGOs, traditional leadership and the Gender Division completed the Training-of-Trainers program; average self-assessed knowledge increased from 2.5 to 4.6 out of 5. 
• The TA produced two practical guidance products: Gender-responsive community forestry guidelines and social and environmental readiness assessment guidance for land-based carbon projects. 
• Training participants continued exchanging advice and implementation experiences through a post-training WhatsApp network, indicating early peer learning and application of concepts 

How EDM-CAA contributed 

EDM-CAA contributed by deploying technical expertise to assess gender barriers, develop guidance materials, and deliver practical capacity building for organizations supporting community forestry. The TA generated evidence, tools, and training resources linked directly to Zambia’s existing community forestry framework. Continued uptake and institutionalization will depend on the Forestry Department, Ministry leadership, traditional authorities, and NGO partners.  

Key Enabling Factor(s) 

A major enabling factor was strong collaboration with Forestry Department officers and inclusion of traditional leaders, who influence local governance and customary land access. 

Training of Trainers: Gender Mainstreaming in Community Forest Management Groups, Central Province, Zambia

Context

Zambia’s government has made notable progress in supporting efforts to cut GHG emissions from the forestry sector. There is strong momentum in Zambia for mitigation initiatives through subnational programmes and project-level actions, which should be further supported with technical assistance. Zambia is engaging communities at the local level as key climate actors. This strategy aligns with Zambia’s goal to involve local communities in forest governance and the expansion of community-based forestry, aiming to conserve forests and related climate and environmental services while also harnessing forests for economic growth and increased resilience. The necessary policy, legal, and institutional frameworks to enhance community involvement in forest management and climate actions have been put in place, including Zambia’s 2014 National Forestry Policy (now updated), the 2015 Forests Act, 2018 Regulations on Community Forest Management, 2018 National Guidelines on Community Forestry, policies promoting decentralisation, the 2021 Forest (carbon stocks management) regulation, and the 2015 National REDD+ strategy.

Although women in Zambia play a vital role in community forests management and natural resource governance, they often encounter obstacles to meaningful participation in decision-making processes. Gender inequalities limit women’s access to resources, training, and leadership roles, hindering their ability to contribute effectively to climate resilience efforts. Additionally, efforts to mainstream gender in Community Forest Management groups face significant obstacles, such as unresolved land tenure issues, weak governance structures, reliance on slash-and-burn agriculture, and insufficient inclusivity. Barriers to gender inclusivity in stakeholder engagement stem from a lack of gender-disaggregated data and community initiatives that fail to raise awareness or foster participation in Community Forest Management. Addressing these barriers is essential for advancing gender equality, promoting inclusiveness in climate initiatives, and ensuring women’s voices are integral to governance processes.

Goal of TA

The initiative’s technical assistance aims to raise awareness about the significance of gender-inclusive CFMGs, promote the long-term development of gender-responsive land tenure systems, strengthen governance and institutional frameworks related to CFM, and build stakeholder capacity to adopt sustainable gender mainstreaming practices in the forestry sector.  It will focus on promoting gender equality by empowering women through targeted training, forming women’s groups, and ensuring their active involvement in decision-making processes related to community forestry management.

CAA Technical Assistance

The technical assistance will provide key stakeholders with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to: (1) monitor equity and inclusiveness within Community Forest Management groups in Zambia, (2) oversee social and environmental safeguards concerning benefit sharing in forestry projects, and (3) enhance governance structures and institutional frameworks vital for sustainable, gender-responsive community forestry management.

Key Activities:

• Project Foundation: An inception meeting and report to establish the project’s direction and framework.
• Assessment Phase: A comprehensive gender analysis examining inequality in Zambia’s forest management sector, including the root causes of gender disparities in land ownership and tenure, as well as identifying key gender issues in CFMGs.
• Capacity Building Design: Development of a Training of Trainers (ToT) programme specifically aimed at equipping CFMG members with gender-responsive climate monitoring skills and knowledge of social/environmental safeguards.
• Implementation Plan:

• • A write-shop with 10 participants in Lusaka to develop gender mainstreaming guidelines, covering women’s roles in forest conservation, land tenure security, inequality solutions, and regulatory frameworks.
  • Development of training modules, procedures, and manuals based on the write-shop results.
  • Delivery of a 30-person train of trainer workshop in Zambia’s Central Province to enhance CFMG governance and entrepreneurial skills.

• Knowledge Products: High-level guidelines outlining the climate benefits of CFMGs for government stakeholder engagement and communications.