As a result of advocacy over the years, society has made major strides in attaining some level of gender equality in many aspects of society. Unfortunately, the land and natural resources sector remains significantly male dominated due to the influence of custom and traditional practices which consider land resources as traditionally for the male gender.

The Global Timber Forum, in partnership with COLANDEF, conducted an analysis of how these customs and traditional practices have shaped the Wood Processing Sector in Ghana and has prepared  a research report which analyzes the gender dynamics and roles in the wood processing industry in Ghana. The report also identifies the impact gender norms and cultural barriers have had on women and their ability to actively participate in decision-making processes over the years. In addition to highlighting the problems within the industry, it provides recommendations for all stakeholders on ways of ensuring that  gender imbalances are corrected.

While this research focuses on Ghana, the cases are similar in many developing countries and the ideas behind the recommendations are generally applicable in any setting.