Emboscades. Dones I bosc (Women of the Forest) - 2023 - Photography, Video & Sound

This photography and video project invites you to explore and delve into the role of women in the forest sector in Catalonia, as well as the importance of managing and conserving forests through the eyes of 18 women and to make visible the role of women in the management of forests.

Forest management and many professions associated with the rural environment are unknown to people in the urban world, however their work is essential. Women’s work in this field is even less known. The present environmental, economic and social challenges are immense and natural systems are the most affected, it is necessary to search for solutions. A forest sector based on equality between women and men may be a solution to achieve these challenges.

Some data: 64% of Catalonia is forest. And of this forest area, 75% is privately owned. 32% of the private forests belong to women however only 9% of the people who work in the forest are women. The forest world also has a glass ceiling that needs to be breached.

The original title in Catalan has been maintained because it is a beautiful play on words. Gerard Fernandez in Medforest explains it well: “Emboscar is a Catalan verb that has two main definitions. From the more poetic and literary “to get lost and go deep into the vastness of a forest” to the more commonly used, specifically in the field of defence: “to be in a hidden place to surprise the enemy”. Someone who is emboscat / emboscada, therefore, is someone who gets lost in the woods and feels good about it but also someone who is ambushed… A double-edged concept: the joy of working in a natural environment versus the challenges faced by women, who still struggle to break glass ceilings and feel trapped by different threats such as gender inequality, paternalism, sexism, and invisibility."

This project was made possible by the Climate Action Department of Catalonia, under the direction of Anna Sanitjas Olea, General Director of Forest Ecosystems and a wonderful team effort (all credits below in the short video reel).

A major exhibition was produced and exhibited at the Palau Robert in Barcelona between March 4th and April 14th, 2024. It is now a travelling exhibition and available to travel upon request.