The present study is aimed at assessing the living conditions and the socioeconomic situation ofrnWomen Fuelwood Carriers and their interaction with the forest resources, and the effect on thernforest as well, due to filelwood harvesting, as a result of the great demand for energy supply. Therncumulative effect of the illegal activity carried out by the WFCs on the reserved fo rest, as thernmajor or sole means of their livelihood, has filrther repercussions. It contributes to increaserndepletion of the plantations, destroys the sustainable supply of filelwood and ultimately puts atrnstake, not only the very survival of WFCs themselves, but also the household energy needs ofrnend-users at large. Without education or training, or other way of supporting themselves andrntheir families, these women subsist on filelwood carrying and trading, as their primary source ofrnincome, at a considerable cost both to their own health and personal safety, and to the soundrnmanagement of the forest resources. The general objective of the research is to assess thernlivelihood conditions of the women filelwood carriers in northern Addis Ababa as well as theirrnactivities within the forest, in order to determine ways and means to make it sustainable andrnenvironmentally friendly. To do so, the researcher had to employ both quantitative andrnqualitative research methods to gather the necessmy data for conducting the study. Th esernincluded descriptive surveys using structured questionnaires, semi-structured interviews andrnFGDs with informants by employing interview guidelines and/or checklists, observations andrndocumentary analyses to generate pertinent primmy and secondary data from primary andrnsecondary sources, with a view to ensuring the quality of data. To this end, a total of 92 samplernrespondents were selected out of 2000 target population, using systematic sampling techniques.rnThis study found out that the socio-demographic and economic characteristics of the surveyedrnpopulation depict exactly the state of poverty these WFCs are living in. They are essentiallyrnyoung adults and married migrants from different parts of the country and they are illiterate;rnhaving no significant assets to make a positive impact in their lives, although some of them claimrnto have assets of some sort back home. Their perception about the forests and its importance is,rntherefore, limited. Living in groups in tiny housing units and filthy environment, without anyrnmeaningfiil alternative income-generating activities, these Orthodox people, by religion, take allrnrisks to gain a loft of bread out of the forests. The existing forests protection enforcementrnmechanisms and policies are inefficient to keep then at bay and inadequate to ensure good forestrnconservation practices in the study area. This is very often due to inadequate number ofrnpersonnel to patrol the forest, lack of smooth communication, lack of clear guidelines and of coordinationrnamong the Government local authorities responsible for making it happen.rnConsequently, awareness creation is needed at all levels on the importance of a sound forestrnconservation system; and provision should be made of an adequate number of forest securityrnguards in the study area with encouraging incentives in order to guaranty an effective forestrnprotection. Local authorities and relevant stakeholders should commit themselves not only tornprovide WFCs with access to schools to acquire new life skills and alternative generatingrnincome, but also with decent housing units to allow them fit in the society in dignifying manner.rnGiven the fact that effective management of forests is of paramount importance, there is a needrnfor all parties concerned to pursue collective participatolY forest management initiatives in suchrna way as to safeguard the interest of all, the environment and, particularly of the poor, who arernthe most reliant on the continued access to resources for filelwood supplies.