Forests, women and health: opportunities and challenges for conservation (original) (raw)

Forest women, health and childbearing

2008

In recent years, there has been a certain reluctance in some development and conservation circles to acknowledge the significance of population issues. Westerners are cognizant of their own roles in consuming the world’s resources and understandably consider it inappropriate to warn others about population expansion. Additionally, there is growing recognition that, for instance, in forest management, public participation is often used for the purposes of the managers, donors and project leaders, rather than for local people’s purposes (for a thorough examination of these processes as they apply to women’s reproductive rights, see Braidotti et al, 1994; Reardon, 1995; Rocheleau and Slocum, 1995; Turshen, 1995). And finally, forest managers – usually men, and usually outsiders – typically feel uncomfortable dealing with the women who live in forests. Childbearing behaviour, they believe, is too personal, and outside the realm of forestry or ecological expertise. For all these reasons,...

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2013

In recent years, there has been a certain reluctance in some development and conservation circles to acknowledge the significance of population issues. Westerners are cognizant of their own roles in consuming the world’s resources and understandably consider it inappropriate to warn others about population expansion. Additionally, there is growing recognition that, for instance, in forest management, public participation is often used for the purposes of the managers, donors and project leaders, rather than for local people’s purposes (for a thorough examination of these processes as they apply to women’s reproductive rights, see Braidotti et al, 1994; Reardon, 1995; Rocheleau and Slocum, 1995; Turshen, 1995). And finally, forest managers – usually men, and usually outsiders – typically feel uncomfortable dealing with the women who live in forests. Childbearing behaviour, they believe, is too personal, and outside the realm of forestry or ecological expertise. For all these reasons,...

Women's role and contribution to forest-based livelihoods

2002

The analysis and policy recommendations of this Paper do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations, its Executive Board or its Member States Sub-Group on Sex Disaggregated Data of the IAWG on Gender and Development UNDP, 55, Lodi Estate, New Delhi 110003, India Website http://hdrc.undp.org.in UNESCO House B-5/29, Safdarjung Enclave New Delhi 110 029, India Website http://unescodelhi.nic.in e-mail newdelhi@unesco.org

Women and forestry: operational issues

1989

Women are major actors in forestry throughout the developing world. Women and children are the primary collectors of fuel and fodder for home consumption and for sale to urban markets. This alone gives women a major role in the management and conservation of renewable forest resources. When convinced of the utility and practicality of a forest improvement or management scheme, women can be a powerful lobby to persuade their entire houshold or community to invest the resources necessary to make the scheme work. Involving women in forestry projects often makes the difference between achieving or not achieving project objectives, particularly for the long-term sustainability of interventions.