Iola Leal

Iola is a governance and gender specialist working on sustainability, forest use and management, and social inclusion. Her work focuses on strengthening governance systems, integrating gender and inclusion into policy and practice, and improving the quality and use of evidence in decision-making. 

She has experience across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, supporting multi-stakeholder processes, field-based analysis, and institutional change. Her approach combines practical tools, critical analysis, and facilitation to bridge policy and implementation, with a focus on making systems more transparent, accountable, and inclusive.