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Gender Analysis Example: Environment

More than 1.6 billion people worldwide depend on forests for wood and non-timber forest products, such as fruit, nuts, medicines, and fibers. However, how each gender accesses these products differs across cultures and locations. Photo Source: DevTech Systems, Inc.

Sector: Environment

Project Title: Forest Management Project

Objective: Promote sustainable management of natural resources.

Narrative Brief: A forest management project was intended to promote the sustainable management of natural resources by the local population in a manner compatible with their livelihood needs. The project wanted to involve a wide range of stakeholders in protecting the regenerating timber resources.

Wealthier men with economic interests in timber tended to control who had access to forest resources. Women relied on a diverse range of forest products, including non-timber products (e.g., honey, berries, mushrooms, and herbs) that were vital for their subsistence and they had total control of the income earned from these products.

With the new forest management plan, timber resources were regenerated, but the women were barred from access to any forest resources. Consequently, they began resorting to such ecologically destructive practices as digging up roots for firewood.

Summary Gender Impact: Harms

The project harms women - and their families - economically. It also harms the entire community over the long-term because removing the roots for firewood reduces new growth and results in erosion.

Project cycle juncture where major gender factors might have been identified:

The design of the project was not well considered. No gender lens was applied to determine the questions of access and control of forest resources or the long-term impacts of the project on men and women.

Project innovations for design, intervention, and implementation:

• The project could have benefited from a study of the gender dynamics of forest resource usage in order to determine who had a stake in the plan. Then, the needs and interests of both men and women would have been considered
• Both project design and implementation failed to recognize questions of rights, access and control of resources.

Gender data requirements:

• Who currently depends on the forest and in what ways?
• Number of women/men using the forest for income generation.
• Amount of income for women/men using the forest for timber and non-timber forest products.
• Who controls the decision-making about access to the forest?
• Who has control over the forest resources?

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