In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, women are the primary users of resources from the forest, such as wood, food, and other products. Yet they have little say in how those resources are managed. With help from USAID and other partners, WWF has been working to shift the balance in communities. WWF is training women’s groups in sustainable agroforestry practices and working to ensure female representation in local development committees that dictate land use.

Returning from a recent trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to report a story for World Wildlife magazine, Nathalie Simoneau (Policy & Government Affairs) and Alison Henry (Communications & Marketing) told the story of women’s empowerment in the DRC.