Women’s leadership in the Amazon

In the context of International Women’s Day, the experience of Shipibo-Konibo communities in the Ucayali region of Peru highlights how women’s leadership is reshaping community forest management in the Amazon. 

In this region, six Indigenous communities of the Shipibo-Konibo people manage more than 34,000 hectares of Amazon rainforest, demonstrating that community forest management can generate income while protecting the forest. With the support of AIDER Peru and FSC Peru, these communities have strengthened territorial governance, promoted sustainable local economies, and connected their products to markets that value responsibly managed forests. 

From this process of organization and capacity building emerged Nii Biri, an Indigenous enterprise whose name in the Shipibo-Konibo language means ‘wonders of the forest.’” The company represents an important step forward: moving from selling timber as raw material to transforming it locally into higher value products. 

But beyond the business model, what makes this initiative unique is the growing leadership of women within the forest value chain. 

Women at the heart of the value chain 

At Nii Biri’s processing facility, women play a central role in both the primary and secondary transformation of timber. From selecting and drying wood to assembling, sanding, and finishing products, their work is key to producing high-quality value-added goods. 

In a sector traditionally dominated by men, their participation is helping reshape the forest economy. 

Karina Mori Rodríguez, an artisan from the Callería community, describes the change: “Before, each family worked on their own. Now the work in the community is more organized and participatory. Women and men are involved in different activities and are learning more about how to use and care for our resources.” 

Her testimony reflects a broader shift: community forest management increasingly involves women and young people across the entire value chain. 

Leadership building opportunities for the future 

This transformation is also visible in the leadership of Marina Pérez, General Manager of Nii Biri, who coordinates production activities, supports young professionals, and reinforces the skills needed to maintain product quality and comply with FSC standards. 

As she explains: “Providing opportunities for young people in the community is very important. They are part of the forest management process and the future of our enterprises.” 

By strengthening local processing and leadership, Nii Biri is helping communities capture more value from the forests they responsibly manage. 

From timber to value-added products 

For many years, Amazonian communities were forced to sell their timber – often at very low prices – capturing only a small portion of the value generated by the forest resource, which did not reflect the effort required to responsibly manage and protect their forests. 

The creation of Nii Biri seeks to change that dynamic. 

Initially conceived as a collection point to bring together timber from the communities and negotiate fairer payments and prices, the initiative evolved into a more ambitious model: transforming wood into value-added products. 

Today, the company produces furniture, household items, and other wood products that reflect not only quality, but also the story of the forest they come from. Each piece represents the work of the communities that manage the forest, as well as the technical knowledge developed at the processing facility. 

FSC certification and trust 

Nii Biri’s FSC Chain of Custody certification guarantees the traceability of timber from the forest to the final product. 

This ensures that the products meet international standards that promote responsible forest management, respect for communities, and environmental sustainability. For those involved in the initiative, however, certification represents more than a technical standard: it is a way to demonstrate that communities can lead sustainable and competitive production models. 

A more inclusive model for forest management 

Initiatives like Nii Biri show how community forest management can evolve into more inclusive and resilient forest value chains, where communities not only manage their forests but also participate in the transformation and commercialization of their products. 

In this process, women are becoming increasingly visible – not only as workers, but as leaders shaping the future of community forest management in the Amazon.