Best not to use acronyms if you want views from outside your special area! Are you referring to Community-Based Forest Management?

Empowering women in CBFM requires more than participation — it needs transformation.

This means:

• Legal recognition of women’s forest rights

• Gender-responsive policies embedded at every governance level

• Access to finance and capacity-building

• Mentorship from female leaders and support from community men

• And above all, shifting social norms that limit female agency

Only when these structures align can women lead not just locally, but systemically.

Himanshu Tiwari Essential support structures include inclusive decision-making processes, gender-sensitive training, access to resources and credit, legal recognition of women’s roles, and community norms that value women’s leadership. Institutional backing from NGOs and local governments can also provide platforms for sustained participation and agency.