Key messagesMiskitu and Mayangna women from rural forest-dependent communities in the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region (Region Autonoma de la Costa Caribe Norte, RACCN) of Nicaragua still have a limited presence and are at a disadvantage in representation in decision-making arenas, due in part to weak community governance. Strengthening women's participation improves community governance.Cultural rules continue to favor men. The road to gender equity requires spaces for women to reflect on their role in community forest governance, but it also requires men's commitment, respect and support.Participatory governance monitoring has provided an avenue for women to express their concerns about natural resource management issues and conflicts and has also generated hope for change.

Adaptive Collaborative Management (ACM) is a transformative problem-solving and management approach to learn and act collectively to systematically adapt to change and improve management outcomes. Women are crucial actors in forest management, yet their involvement in decision making has not kept pace with reforms in broader political and economic systems. This manual specifically addresses how to encourage the broader participation of women in decision making through ACM. We include practical guidance and examples of how to apply ACM methods in communities and how to teach those methods to others. We present an overview of ACM concepts, suggested steps and activities, tips, case studies and recommendations of additional resources. The ideas and activities that we present here come from field practitioners and community members who are managing forests, or who want to manage them better.This manual can also be applied to the management of a wide range of natural resources, such as natural forests, planted forests, crops, gardens, water or animals.