RRI’s Forest Tenure data tracks forest area via 4 tenure categories, which are based on the rightsholder and strength of their rights under national law. This employs a bundle of rights approach that links RRI’s qualitative and quantitative data. The database also tracks the statutory distribution of Forest Tenure from 2002 to 2017.

Use the key below to see which data is available for each of the 17 examined countries in Latin America.

Key Findings About Women’s Rights to Community Forests in Latin America

Compared to other regions, as of 2024, CBTRs in Latin America exhibit the smallest proportion of adequate protection for the rights of Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and local community women. However, Latin America is the only region to see no legislative rollbacks in the recognition of community women’s forest rights from 2016 to 2024.

It also hosts the largest proportion of community-owned CBTRs, has the greatest recognition of the overarching intestate inheritance rights of daughters, wives, and women in consensual unions, and features the largest proportion of recognized Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) rights for Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and local communities. Yet Latin America provides the smallest proportion of adequate and women-specific protections for women’s leadership rights.