Transforming Gender Relations: Upscaling Collective Action in Women’s Entrepreneurship

Strengthening gender equality in business is an important and valid entry point to achieve Sustainable Development Goals that leave no-one behind. Making progress on gender means tackling entrenched power inequalities in diverse societies. At the heart of gender inequality lie systems of patriarchy and related socio-cultural norms which must be challenged at multiple levels. In practice, social and religious taboos restrict entry points. But upscaling collective action to strengthen women’s role in business can be facilitated. Phase I of the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) used peer mentoring, business incubation and networking to increase gender equality and reduce poverty within Forest and Farm Producer Organisations (FFPOs) and their businesses. Future actions will be tracked to ensure greater representation, recognition and resource re-distribution to women at household, institution and national levels.