Empowering women across forest value chains is both a matter of equity and a strategic investment in resilient ecosystems, inclusive economies and global climate objectives. Evidence shows that when women have secure tenure, access to finance and meaningful decision-making roles, they contribute to more sustainable, equitable and biodiversity-positive forest management.This paper presents FAO’s 4 WINS approach as a strategic model to advance women’s entrepreneurship and leadership across forest value chains through four mutually reinforcing pathways: wider access to markets, finance and decision-making; innovation driven by diverse knowledge systems and inclusive leadership; equitable conservation and restoration of natural resources; and sustainable practices that strengthen forest resilience and forest-dependent livelihoods. Achieving these outcomes requires gender-transformative change that addresses discriminatory norms, unpaid care work and power imbalances shaping access to land, markets and leadership opportunities.