 Around the world, forests and trees provide a source of income and livelihoods for over a billion people. Both women and men depend on forests, agroforestry and trees for their livelihoods and play a critical role in managing them. However, there are big inequalities in roles, rights and responsibilities among women and men. For example, deforestation and forest destruction disproportionately affect poor women as they have even fewer opportunities to earn income than men, and forest loss means that they can no longer continue to collect food, firewood and fodder for their household. Both women and men play a critical role in climate change action, but women's voices are seldom heard and their adaptive strategies rarely taken into account in design of climate change planning and interventions. The same goes for women's participation in forest user associations. Rules of entry prevent women from participating formally in forest associations, and even when women are formally represented, their opinions are often less valued and their ability to influence decisions is less than men's. Due to gender-based divisions of work, women and men often have different knowledge and preferences for trees and forests. When women's voices are not heard in the design of forest-related initiatives, their knowledge, interests and priorities are not taken into consideration. This can not only increase existing gender inequalities, but also decrease women's incentives to contribute to forest and agroforestry management. Enhancing women's participation in forest and tree management can support women's empowerment and also improve the condition of forests and trees. Therefore, the forestry and agroforestry sector has much to contribute to addressing inequalities between women and men, and empowering disadvantaged women and men in ways that contribute to sustainable rural landscapes. The CGIR research program on forest, trees and agroforestry is tackling this challenge head-on. Our research is aimed at understanding how a wide range of changes in forest and tree-based landscapes, such as growth of markets, climate change, migration and mobility, expansion of agriculture, and a wide range of interventions in the name of conservation and development are affecting women and men. We identify how different improved alternatives for landscapes and people can be realized by promoting gender equality and empowering women. We are partnering with a wide range of organizations at the local, national and global levels to undertake research on pressing gender issues as they unfold and ensuring that our research findings serve to safeguard women's rights, combat gender injustice and equitably expand opportunities for both men and women in rural landscapes. We are aligning our activities with the Sustainable Development Goals and we contribute to a global vision of gender equality and women's empowerment.