A survey of people in the Irish forestry sector has found strong support for greater participation of women in the industry.

The research, conducted by Mná na Coille, also highlighted the barriers for women in the sector, including a lack of visibility, workplace culture and representation.

Mná na Coille, meaning 'Women of the Woods', was initiated by forester Marina Conway and forest owner Dr. Olive Leavy.

The initiative aims to bring together women across all areas of forestry to share experiences, build networks, and advocate for greater participation of women in the sector.

Survey

The survey gathered responses from 258 people involved in forestry, including foresters, forest owners, researchers, educators, contractors, ecologists, policy workers, and students.

Of those respondents, 173 were women and 85 were men.

According to Mná na Coille, the survey reveals "a sector in transition, one increasingly connected with climate action, biodiversity, education, community wellbeing and long-term land stewardship, but still widely perceived as male-dominated".

Women in forestry consistently described their roles in terms of environmental stewardship, biodiversity protection, climate resilience, and responsibility to future generations.

Many respondents reported that women remain under-represented across all areas of forestry, especially in operational, leadership and decision-making roles.

Among the barriers identified in the survey were outdated stereotypes, lack of visible role models, workplace bias, unsuitable personal protective equipment (PPE), and limited facilities on sites.

Both male and female participants broadly agreed that greater diversity would strengthen forestry and help the sector respond to future environmental and societal challenges.

A spokesperson for Mná na Coille said that Irish forestry is evolving, but the sector "still does not fully reflect the diversity of people who could contribute to it".

"A more inclusive sector will ultimately lead to stronger decision-making, better outcomes and a more resilient future for Irish forestry," they added.

Women in forestry

The recommendations arising from the Mná na Coille survey include:

Change the story of forestry

Publicly portray forestry as a modern, diverse, science-based and community-orientated profession;
Use women as visible spokespeople and storytellers.

Build pathways for young people

Integrate forestry into school guidance, transition year, STEM programmes, and girls’ schools;
Provide bursaries, internships and apprenticeships targeted to under-represented groups.

Strengthen networks, mentorship and community

Support women’s forestry networks and link them to mainstream institutions;
Formalise mentorship programmes for students and early-career women.

Transform workplace cultures

Train managers and staff in bias awareness, inclusive leadership, and respectful communication.
Establish clear policies on harassment, exclusion, and sexist behaviour, and enforce them.

Make forestry workable for different lives

Experiment with flexible, remote, and part-time arrangements;
Ensure parental leave and re-entry pathways are feasible, including for self-employed or small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) workers.

Address structural gaps

Collect better gender-disaggregated data on forestry roles, education, ownership and representation;
Move toward gender balance in policy, advisory and leadership bodies;
Explore inheritance, land registration, and licensing practices that keep women out of decision-making loops.