Taking Action on Gender Gaps in Forest Landscapes Working Paper PATRICIA KRISTJANSON, TAMARA BAH, ANNE KURIAKOSE, MEERIM SHAKIROVA, GERARDO SEGURA, KATHARINA SIEGMANN, MARGAUX GRANAT MARCH 2019 Patricia Kristjanson, Tamara Bah, Anne Kuriakose, Meerim Shakirova, Gerardo Segura, Katharina Siegmann, Margaux Granat Disclaimer: The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper do not necessarily reflect the views of the Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they represent or the donors of PROFOR and BNPP. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. Cover: Photo by Gerardo Segura/ World Bank Taking Action on Gender Gaps in Forest Landscapes Working Paper PATRICIA KRISTJANSON, TAMARA BAH, ANNE KURIAKOSE, MEERIM SHAKIROVA, GERARDO SEGURA, KATHARINA SIEGMANN, MARGAUX GRANAT MARCH 2019 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This paper synthesizes the findings of a project led by has benefitted from the generous sharing of ideas and Patricia Kristjanson on Catalyzing Gender-Forests Actions, knowledge from a wide range of partners from other supported by the Program on Forests (PROFOR) within institutions, including International Union for Conservation the Environment group at the World Bank. The aim of of Nature (IUCN), World Resources Institute (WRI), Rights this project has been to identify and share knowledge and Resources Initiative (RRI), and Food and Agriculture of practices that are generating gender-responsive Organization (FAO). Many of the framings and lessons forest projects, programs, and investments. Sharing this found in this paper arise from research led by the gender knowledge is intended to influence and catalyze improved team at International Food Policy Institute (IFPRI). We also project and program design and implementation of gender owe a debt of gratitude to researchers that have generated “best practices” across the World Bank Group (WBG) and important new evidence and knowledge in this relatively with its clients and partners, leading to forest landscape under-researched area from Center for International projects that are more inclusive and able to measure Forestry Research (CIFOR), World Agroforestry Center improved equity impacts. We thank Werner Kornexl and the (ICRAF), International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), PROFOR team for their enthusiastic support of this vision. and International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and their numerous partners. The Catalyzing Gender-Forests Actions initiative has benefitted greatly from experiences gained across a wide The team is thankful for the financial support provided range of projects and programs related to gender and for this work by PROFOR and the Bank Netherlands forests within the WBG, including the Climate Investment Partnership Program (BNPP). A multi-donor partnership Funds (CIF), Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), housed at the World Bank, PROFOR finances forest- Forest Investment Program (FIP), as well as gender-related related analysis and processes that support improving lessons from the agriculture group under the leadership people’s livelihoods through better management of of Sanna-Liisa Taivalmaa. We thank the environmental task forests and trees, enhancing forest law enforcement and team leaders that are now including gender-responsive governance, financing sustainable forest management, activities in their projects. In a few years, we will have more and coordinating forest policy across sectors. Learn more hard evidence of the “value added” of including gender- at www.profor.info. responsive activities and approaches. The authors are grateful for the thoughtful comments and insights from Suggested Citation: Patricia Kristjanson, Tamara Bah, Anne reviews by Nalin Kishor and Kilara Suit (WBG) and Andrew Kuriakose, Meerim Shakirova, Gerardo Segura, Katharina Taber (FAO). Siegmann, Margaux Granat, 2019. “Taking Action on Gender Gaps in Forest Landscapes.” Program on Forests Along with the collective insights and experiences of (PROFOR). Washington DC. the authors from within the World Bank, this initiative iv TAKING ACTION ON GENDER GAPS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES TABLE OF CONTENTS Acronyms VI Summary VII Introduction 1 Background and Review of Knowledge on Gender Gaps in Relation to Forest Landscapes 2 Gender Gaps in Forest Landscapes 3 Gender-Responsive Interventions to Close Forest-Related Gender Gaps 5 Strengthening Women’s Participation 7 Strengthening Forest, Land, and Tree Tenure Rights 7 Designing Equitable Benefit-Sharing Mechanisms 8 Supporting Inclusive Local Institutions, Networks, and Platforms Related to Forest Landscapes 8 Strengthening Women’s Access to Credit and Value Chains for Forest-Related Activities and Enterprises 9 Building Knowledge and Skills 10 Examples of Gender-Responsive Forest Landscape Initiatives 11 REDD+ Gender Action Plans/Roadmaps 11 World Bank Group-Supported Forest Investment Examples 12 Adding a Gender Lens to Forest Programs in Mexico 12 Côte d’Ivoire Forest Investment Project 13 Other Forests-Gender Initiatives 13 W + Certification Standard 13 The Forest and Farm Facility 14 Conclusions 15 References 17 Annex 1. Gender-REDD+ Action Plans: Works in Progress from Seven Countries 21 TAKING ACTION ON GENDER GAPS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES v ACRONYMS CIF Climate Investment Fund CGIAR Consultative group of international agricultural research centers CSO Civil Society Organization DGM Dedicated Grant Mechanism FAO United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization FCPF Forest Carbon Partnership Facility FIP Forest Investment Program FFF Forest and Farm Facility FFPO Forest-Farm Producer Organization GHG Greenhouse gases IP Indigenous peoples NGO Non-governmental Organization NTFP Non-timber Forest Products PES Payment for Environmental Services REDD+ Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, Supporting Conservation, Catalyzing Sustainable Management of Forests, and Increasing Forest Carbon Stocks WBG World Bank Group WOCAN Women Organizing Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management vi TAKING ACTION ON GENDER GAPS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES SUMMARY Investments in forest landscapes and agroforestry will landscape management, resulting in transformational be critical in efforts to address climate change and change on both fronts. rural poverty challenges in many countries. While it is the people living in and around forests that are best Yet project designers, policy makers, and others making placed to make the efforts needed to transform them decisions affecting forest landscapes are not receiving into more sustainable systems from both environmental much guidance on exactly what gender-responsive and livelihoods perspectives, women and men in local project activities and policy actions should be considered, communities typically receive very little technical or which will vary according to different contexts. This paper financial support to do so. This is particularly the case for explores these opportunities to enhance gender equality women. In the context of forest landscape initiatives, two and forest landscape management with the goal of overarching arguments exist for why it is critical to address starting to provide such guidance. It reviews key gender the challenges to integrating gender equality actions gaps identified in forest landscape projects and programs and investments and to take specific steps to address in the literature. It examines what gender-focused activities these challenges and enable successful implementation. and actions are being taken to address these gaps in many First and foremost is a rights-based argument. These countries through a review of some of the projects and investments and efforts should not maintain gender forest-sector investments supported by the World Bank inequalities, but rather work toward advancing gender Group and partners that are now incorporating such equality, as all people have the right to fair and equal actions. The findings show that there is a wide range of treatment. Secondly, a strong case can be made that gender-responsive forest landscape investments that many opportunities are missed and investments simply can be considered by those wishing to contribute to and are not as effective and efficient as they potentially could catalyze results on multiple sustainable development be by being gender-responsive rather than ignoring goals. By synthesizing and categorizing these actions, this gender considerations or being gender-blind. Thus, paper aims to offer both inspiration as well as practical, issues arising due to gender inequalities should not just concrete ideas on how to link knowledge with action in be seen as problems, but as potential opportunities to the context of this complex challenge. Much remains to take actions that enhance both gender equality and forest be done, however. TAKING ACTION ON GENDER GAPS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES vii viii TAKING ACTION ON GENDER GAPS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES Photo by Georgina Smith/ CIAT INTRODUCTION There are two overarching arguments for why gender constructively shifting social and gender attitudes and challenges within the context of forest landscape initiatives norms (Kantor et al. 2015; McDougall and Banjade 2015). of all types should be seriously considered and for steps Perceptions can be shifted of who are legitimate actors to be taken to address them. First and foremost is a rights- in the system, who makes decisions and how they are based argument—these investments and efforts should made, what is prioritized, and who acts as if they have not maintain gender inequalities as all people have the “ownership” of community forests and other collectively right to be treated equally (Elias et al. 2017; RRI 2017). managed natural resources. In Nepal, a shift from a forest The second argument is that a strong case can be made protection orientation to one allowing income-generation that by ignoring gender concerns, many opportunities are activities benefitting the poor and women, while still missed and projects simply are not going to be as effective conserving forest resources, has been a key outcome of and efficient as they potentially could be by being gender- inclusive and participatory planning processes (McDougall responsive11 rather than gender-blind or neutral (Colfer et and Banjade 2015). Broader evidence with respect to al.; 2016 Elias et al. 2017). enhancement of women’s control over assets (including natural assets such as forests) suggests that such changes Across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, many communities have significant positive impacts in relation to children’s and people living inside and close to forests are education and nutrition (Meinzen-Dick et al. 2012). marginalized and poor. However, there is no one definition of “forest dependent poor” and estimating their numbers Yet project designers, policy makers, and others making remains elusive (Newton et al. 2016; Shyamsundar et al. decisions affecting forest landscapes are not receiving 2018). Research has shown that poor households obtain much guidance on exactly what gender-responsive project a significant percentage of their income from forests activities and policy actions should be considered, which in many places (for example, Angelsen et al. 2014). will vary according to different contexts. This paper aims There is also evidence of how important forests are for to explore these opportunities and begin to provide supporting food security and providing “safety nets” (for such guidance. It reviews key gender gaps that have example, Shackleton et al. 2011; Wunder et al. 2014a,b). been identified in relation to forest landscape projects But stakeholders pursuing poverty reduction strategies in and programs in the literature. It examines what gender- forest landscapes are increasingly realizing that in order focused activities and actions are being taken to address to be more effective, they need to account for disparities these gaps in multiple countries through a review of many across social groups and between men and women projects and forest-sector investments supported by the (Aguilar et al. 2011; Daw et al. 2015; Mai et al. 2011). This World Bank Group, the CGIAR, the Food and Agriculture is because there are major differences in how, why, and Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and others. where men and women access, use, manage, and benefit from forests (Agrawal 2009; Jagger et al. 2014; Mwangi et al. 2011, Peach Brown 2011). And while both men and women face huge challenges in the forests sector, there remain significant gender gaps in access to land and tree tenure (Colfer et al. 2016). Thus, issues arising due to gender inequalities should be seen as potential opportunities to address systemic barriers, and by doing so, enhance both forest landscape initiatives and gender equality. Gender values, norms, attitudes, and behaviors are all potential leverage points (McDougall 2017). For example, a multi-site, multi- year study on community forest governance showed that participatory action research approaches can be used successfully to engage with and contribute to 1 Interventions that are responsive to gender can be thought of as being along a spectrum from gender-exploitative, to gender-blind, to gender neutral (all of which safeguards approaches usually check for, following a ‘do no harm’ principle), to gender-responsive, then gender- transformative approaches and interventions that actively promote gender equality—the shared control of resources and decision-making, and women’s empowerment as being central (McDougall 2017; Kantor et al. 2015). TAKING ACTION ON GENDER GAPS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES 1 BACKGROUND AND REVIEW OF KNOWLEDGE ON GENDER GAPS IN RELATION TO FOREST LANDSCAPES Efforts to mitigate climate change through forest-related and other initiatives, using a “gender lens.” Table 1 actions have largely concentrated on reducing emissions summarizes some of the key findings from these gender from deforestation and forest degradation, supporting analyses undertaken in a diverse set of countries. This conservation, catalyzing sustainable management of research suggests that there remain significant gender forests, and increasing forest carbon stocks (REDD+). gaps (disproportionate differences between men and There is an expanding body of literature that explores women) in many respects in relation to forest landscape forest landscape restoration efforts, in relation to REDD+ projects in many countries. Table 1. Summary of Gender Analyses and Key Findings in Relation to REDD+ Initiatives Country (ies) Findings Source Cameroon, Women rarely participated in discussions on climate change or REDD+, or in the Peach Brown 2011 Democratic development of related policy documents. Republic of Congo, Central African Republic Democratic Women spend as much time in the forests as men, but men’s activities are more Stiem and Krause Republic of Congo highly valued; men dominate forest governance. 2016 Burkina Faso Women were not involved in REDD+ decision-making processes, yet bore a high Westholm 2016; level of responsibility and labor burden of project activities. Westholm and Arora-Jonsson 2015 Kenya A REDD+ scheme used gender targeting and mainstreamed “minimum standards” Chomba et al. 2017; but failed to address underlying inequalities. While project design was attentive to Kariuki and Birner equity concerns in distributing benefits, in practice the benefits ended up in the 2016 hands of the elite, as the poor and women had no land entitlement. Nepal REDD+ project implementers had neither responsibilities nor strategies for Khadka et al. 2014 applying gender-equitable initiatives, and the explicit inclusion of women in REDD+ program discussions was insufficient for addressing underlying power dynamics and gender imbalances. Vietnam Large numbers of women participated in REDD+ meetings, but were rarely in Pham et al. 2016 leadership positions or members of REDD+ working groups. National organizations working on REDD+ have little capacity to implement gender strategies or concern for gender issues. 22 subnational In 2010–11, women were much less informed and knowledgeable than men about Larson et al. 2015, REDD+ initiatives REDD+ initiatives starting up in their villages. By 2013–14, women’s focus groups 2018 in Brazil, (91%) were found to be equally aware of the REDD+ initiatives in their communities Cameroon, as male-dominated focus groups (92%). Over this period, women’s perceptions of Indonesia, Peru, well-being decreased in REDD+ villages relative to control villages. Tanzania, and Vietnam 2 TAKING ACTION ON GENDER GAPS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES GENDER GAPS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES There is increasing recognition of gender-differentiated including in the context of forestry (Colfer et al. 2018; roles and responsibilities in forest landscapes. Women Djoudi and Brockhaus 2011). This “intersectionality” are increasingly identified as change agents and eco- between gender and factors such as age, ethnicity, friendly managers who can influence the development and caste poses additional challenges, but also offers and deployment of solutions. Nevertheless, there are still opportunities. Initiatives that aim for more equal multiple gender gaps that need to be addressed. The participation, benefit-sharing, and empowerment are various elements of gender gaps across countries and likely to address other critical factors limiting desired contexts, as found in the literature and forest landscape outcomes and impacts (Djoudi et al. 2016; Houria et al. project documents, relate to common challenges that 2016; Thompson-Hall et al. 2016). must be addressed to advance gender equality. These elements, and some specific examples of each for These gaps and challenges for considering and integrating illustrative purposes (that is, they aren’t found everywhere, gender in forest landscapes exist in varying degrees and and men may equally face these constraints in some levels across contexts and countries. Where a country or places) are summarized in Table 2. They include gender group may find one problem a defining burden, other gaps related to participation, leadership, tree and land places may have made significant efforts to address the tenure rights, forest use, division of labor and workloads, same problem. Even when such efforts have been made, skills, ecological knowledge, access to technologies and continual analysis and monitoring of progress are required. inputs, access to information, access to benefits, control These gender gaps also overlap, and the policy, project, over project benefits and income, access to credit, access or programmatic responses to them are often sectoral to markets, access to employment opportunities, and in nature, rather than being addressed in a dynamic, policy engagement. collaborative, and comprehensive manner that likely is more effective. It is evident that many of the inequalities seen in Table 2 are also very relevant for individuals and groups that have In the following section, we further explore the sixteen types historically been marginalized or are less empowered, of gender gaps identified in Table 2. We identify six broad such as minority ethnic groups, migrants, indigenous categories in relation to potential project and program peoples, youths, landless people, and lower castes or activities, interventions, or actions aimed at catalyzing classes. Thus, understanding how gender intersects with gender-responsive forest landscape interventions. other social power relations is getting increasing attention, Photo by Flore de Preneuf/ World Bank TAKING ACTION ON GENDER GAPS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES 3 Table 2. Types and Examples of Typical Gender Gaps Relevant to Forest Landscape Initiatives Gender Gap Related To: Illustrative Examples of This Type of Gender Gap 1. Participation • No or few women or gender experts on project team • Forest management planning process is noninclusive 2. Leadership • Women have fewer leadership roles in community-based forest governance than men, and women’s roles are often limited due to typical gendered responsibilities 3. Forest, Tree and Land • Women have more limited access to trees and tree products than men Tenure Security • Women cannot own land and/or trees independently, therefore excluding them from the benefits of tree and land tenure along value chains 4. Forest Use • Spatial patterns of forest use reflect gender norms, security concerns, and women’s more limited access to transportation 5. Division of Labor/ • Women face more constraints in hiring labor than men Workloads • Women have greater time constraints than men due to their domestic workloads 6. Skills • Women have less access to technical forest-related training • It is assumed women have less knowledge and fewer skills than male counterparts, so they are marginalized in participation and leadership 7. Ecological Knowledge • Women have distinct ecological knowledge that is not shared in policy processes and sustainable forest management project design & implementation 8. Access to Technologies • Women have less access to forest product-related processing and other technologies and Inputs 9. Access to Information • Women have higher illiteracy rates and less access to information (e.g. on sustainable forest management practices, agroforestry opportunities; via cellphones, radio, television) 10. Access to Forest and • Rural advisory services typically don’t address women’s needs (e.g. inappropriate tree species; Agricultural Services trainings at venues and timings when women can’t attend) 11. Access to Benefits • Women have less access to payments for environmental benefits (PES) schemes than do men and more empowered individuals/groups 12. Control Over Benefits/ • Women have less control over income from forests, including non-timber forest products, than Income do men • Program benefits typically go to male signatories 13. Access to Credit • Women in forest landscapes have less access to credit than do men (often linked to lack of land tenure security), or because of a lack of banking options 14. Access to Markets • Women are more likely to be engaged in informal and typically less remunerative markets than and Employment are men Opportunities • Women typically have less access to transportation means than do men, which can limit their participation in markets and employment opportunities 15. Policy Engagement • Forest agency staff is unaware of gender issues; or how to competently integrate across policy and programming 16. Forest Laws and • Forest laws and regulations ignore gender issues and opportunities Regulations Source: Authors’ synthesis from literature and project reviews. 4 TAKING ACTION ON GENDER GAPS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES GENDER-RESPONSIVE INTERVENTIONS TO CLOSE FOREST-RELATED GENDER GAPS Photo by Patricia Kristjanson/ World Bank Many types of policy and program initiatives have been They can be implemented at different scales—from local tried, tested, and proven effective—including political to district or province-level, to national, regional, and strategies, program designs, and project cycle activities global. They include improved technologies, techniques, related to forest landscapes. Thus, there are multiple and management practices, as well as institutional and options to consider for closing gender gaps (Kristjanson policy reforms. and Jensen 2018; Marin and Kuriakose 2017). Ideally, the earliest stages of project conceptualization identify critical At the project or program level, potential gender- gender dynamics, issues, challenges, and opportunities responsive forest landscape activities can be targeted at that can influence desired project outcomes. These different people and organizations, including individuals, identified issues can then be translated into designed groups, and communities; civil society organizations; local, actions to address those particular gaps. subnational, and national governments; and regional and international entities. Different stakeholders face different To help overcome the sixteen types of gender gaps challenges and opportunities to enhance gender equality identified above, six general approaches to making and the effectiveness of interventions. Ultimately, these forestry policy initiatives gender-responsive are diverse stakeholders are responsible for finding and suggested. These include: implementing solutions. • Strengthening women’s participation Some gender gaps (and solutions) are more challenging • Strengthening forest, land, and tree tenure rights and take longer to address than others. For example, • Equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms changing laws is more difficult and takes longer than • Supporting local institutions, networks, and platforms implementing specific project activities at the individual or related to forest landscapes community level. Other gaps that affect women cannot be • Strengthening women’s access to credit and value addressed directly, but rather need to be worked out at the chains for forest-related activities and enterprises community governance level. This requires engaging with • Building knowledge and skills of women community authorities and is often based on customary rules. Complicated, local gender gap issues can require We discuss why each of these approaches is important creative solutions—solutions that, in many cases, are to consider in the context of gender-responsive forest essential precursors for the success of more direct solutions. landscape initiatives and present a wide range of For example, if community authorities are not willing accept examples. There is considerable overlap between these six more inclusive participation of women, then direct support approaches. For example, actions aimed at strengthening to women on technical/managerial skills may not work. women’s participation will also strengthen institutions. Table 3 highlights some of the different stakeholders whose Gender-responsive actions range from small project- circumstances must be considered, and whose solutions to specific activities to wider programmatic campaigns. a similar challenge may in fact differ. TAKING ACTION ON GENDER GAPS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES 5 Table 3. Who Can Tackle Gender Gaps at Different Levels and Illustrative Solutions Level where gaps can be Relevant Gender gap addressed Stakeholders/Actors examples Illustrative Solutions Legal frameworks Ministries of Noninclusive forest • Legal framework that reflects diverse forest users’ environment, land, landscape laws and rights, and recognizes women’s rights agriculture regulations Government National and Outdated and • Design of more inclusive and equitable policies, institutional local government noninclusive forest- programs, and projects policies, agencies involved related policies, programs, and in management and projects, and strategies; • Improve the capacity of government agencies to capacities conservation of forest limited funds, capacity, implement programs and policies landscape resources and knowledge • Provide training and awareness campaigns to government staff Community Community forest Limited participation, • Inclusive governance and institutional frameworks governance and natural resource leadership, forest management tenure, forest use • Quotas for participation in community forest and land committees and groups use decision-making bodies • Participation in territorial planning and forest management activities • Quotas for participation in managerial and administrative roles of community-based enterprises managed by women • Awareness-building actions on women’s roles Donor/investor Development banks, Limited funds, • Design of more inclusive and equitable policies, policies and donor agencies, private information, and tools programs and projects programs sector, etc. investing in forest landscapes • Introduce more earmarked funding opportunities for gender-responsive actions • Develop more equitable benefit sharing mechanisms • Assist governments with awareness campaigns and other tools to implement gender-responsive programs and projects CSO/NGO Local NGOs and Limited funds; limited • Prioritize support to projects with gender-targeted support CSOs assisting rural capacity, skills, and interventions communities in knowledge managing, restoring & • Provide specific training and knowledge products on conserving forest & tree gender resources • Support local women’s groups in knowledge exchange events Small groups and Women, women’s Limited skills, lack of • TA to women’s forest user/NRM groups and networks individuals groups, and mixed access to information groups working in and technologies; • Training in forest management, marketing, and forest landscapes unequal division of processing labor/workloads • Promoting women’s leadership capacity strengthening efforts Source: Authors’ synthesis from literature and project reviews. CSOs = civil society organization; NGO = nongovernmental organization; NRM = natural resource management; TA = technical assistance. 6 TAKING ACTION ON GENDER GAPS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES Coming back to the six suggested general approaches Strengthening Forest, Land and Tree to making forestry policy initiatives gender-responsive Tenure Rights listed above, we discuss each of these in relation to the current knowledge base and give some specific examples Although women play essential roles in the management of project activities, approaches, practices or policies they of forest landscapes, rural women’s tenure rights are can include. much less secure than men’s across most developing countries (FAO 2013). A recent assessment of national laws regulating indigenous peoples’ and local Strengthening Women’s Participation communities’ forest tenure found that almost all of them fail to adequately acknowledge and protect the rights of Increasingly, forests are being managed at the community women, including women’s rights to property, inheritance, level (FAO 2016). In forest areas of low- and middle- community membership, community-level governance, income countries, formal recognition of community- and community-level dispute resolution (RRI 2017). based tenure increased from 21 to 30 percent from 2002 to 2013 (RRI 2014) and this is likely to increase in coming Indigenous women play key roles in customary years around the world. In many of these communities, management of forests in Nepal, for example, yet they however, men’s participation in forest management are unable to obtain land certificates (Tebtebba 2018). decision making exceeds women’s, and women seldom And despite a constitutional right guaranteeing equal play leadership roles in such groups (Agarwal 2001; inheritance of land, it is still not happening in practice. Sunderland et al. 2014). Women are excluded from Similarly, in Vietnam, despite the fact that ethnic women forest decision-making bodies for many reasons. Forest have the rights to land ownership and equal inheritance, in agencies have historically been male dominated, and practice the land mostly goes to sons or nephews. In these timber-related jobs are seen as men’s work. As a result, countries and others, male migration has been increasing. women usually have limited access to information related Thus, women must manage both the farm and household, to forest management (Agarwal 2001). When women leaving little time for improved livelihood activities and do participate in forest user groups, there is evidence longer-term investments such as in tree planting or land that improved forest condition is a result (Coleman and restoration (Tebtebba 2018). Mwangi 2015; Leisher et al. 2016). Secure land rights empower women to participate more Forest sector laws, strategies, and policies can be developed actively in community-level institutions, including those with inclusive, co-development approaches that increase involved in forest management (Giovarelli et al. 2013; women’s participation. These include, for example: Segura et al. 2017). Research evidence shows links between • An inclusive institutional framework for engagement women’s land rights and enhanced decision-making power and participation in forest policies by women, on food choices, nutritional, and educational outcomes indigenous persons, CSOs, NGOs, private sector at the household level (Giovarelli et al. 2013; Katz and • Quotas or targets for female representation on forest Chamorro 2002; Kristjanson et al. 2017; Meinzen-Dick et decision-making bodies al. 2017). Regarding reforestation and restoration activities • Participatory and inclusive forest landscape-level that involve planting trees, secure rights for both men and planning processes supported women have been found to be key to success (Meinzen- • Capacity strengthening of women’s groups, networks, Dick et al. 2017; Sun et al. 2011). and inclusive forest-related platforms • Awareness-building actions on women’s role in forestry Gender-responsive forest sector laws, regulations, and value chains, including NTFP’s interventions that protect and enhance women’s rights are • Supporting women in forest leadership positions—for thus critical, and can include, for example: example, as heads of Forest Protection Committees in • A legal framework that reflects forests’ multiple uses India (Gouri et al. 2004) and diverse users’ rights • Contracts (related to concessions, PES schemes, REDD+ efforts, and so forth) signed by both spouses • Laws that recognize community-based tenure, including specific provisions on respecting and protecting women’s rights TAKING ACTION ON GENDER GAPS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES 7 Designing Equitable Benefit-Sharing Mechanisms community livelihoods, with institutional arrangements in place for implementing this requirement. Benefit sharing is central to many improved forest landscape management initiatives, including efforts In attempting to ensure equitable benefit-sharing, all these aimed at reducing emissions from deforestation and approaches face an additional challenge when it comes to forest degradation, fostering conservation, ecotourism- women (or any individuals or groups that have traditionally related services, sustainable management of forests, had less voice, power, and agency). Therefore, actions enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+), and many to strengthen the capacity of forest agencies to develop different types of payments for environmental services (PES) programs with participatory, inclusive, approaches will be schemes. Developing fair and equitable benefit-sharing key. These could include, for example: arrangements “requires a good understanding of the • Forest product and services certification schemes that drivers of deforestation and forest degradation and their benefit women prioritization, the stakeholders involved in addressing these • Equitable PES and REDD+ initiatives drivers, the incentives needed to reverse deforestation • Schemes for financial market/private sector investment and degradation trends, and suitable mechanisms for in reduced deforestation efforts benefitting women distributing benefits against agreed responsibilities and • Transparent and publicly available information on obligations” (Chandrasekharan Behr 2012).’ forest-related revenues collection, distribution, and management These benefits can be monetary payments. They can • Direct payments to women for planting and protecting also be actions that provide nonmonetary incentives for trees via cellphone (such as M-Pesa in East Africa) behavioral change (such as planting, or protecting trees and forests). These actions often relate to institutional and capacity-strengthening efforts at various levels, Supporting Inclusive Local Institutions, Networks from local (such as trainings in improved agroforestry and Platforms Related to Forest Landscapes or forest management practices) to national (such as technical assistance to forest agencies). These benefits Successfully and sustainably managing community can go to individuals, communities, organizations, forests requires collective action and strong local forest government agencies, and businesses for actions that institutions. Under a community-driven land management change land use and reduce emissions. Since these approach, local institutions refer to local governance changes have costs associated with them, these benefits structures, and thus to the way communal and collective should outweigh the costs. For many years, the need to decisions are made. Under a recently conducted design equitable benefit-sharing approaches has been behaviorally informed gender gap analysis in Mexico, argued at the international and national levels, to build for example, researchers showed that in the context legitimacy for REDD+ and other programs so that the of natural resource and forest management, women’s people affected by program actions are treated fairly participation in productive activities and communal and equitably (IUCN 2009). decision making are correlated (World Bank 2018). The study found that women’s economic participation is Pham et al. (2013) describe four main types of REDD+ vulnerable to gender-exclusive social norms, low social benefit-sharing mechanisms: status, and other behavioral barriers. As a result, women’s • Market-based instruments: PES, such as national-level participation in community forest decision-making mechanisms found in Brazil and Vietnam; and project- processes is now being promoted, and steps are being level PES schemes found in almost all countries, taken to ensure they are not being hindered by social especially in Latin America).Community forestry systems/ structures and entrenched power asymmetries during collaborative forest management: e.g. Nepal, Tanzania meetings (World Bank 2018). Forest project reviews also • Community forestry systems/collaborative forest show that women’s participation can be supported in the management (e.g. Nepal, Tanzania) following ways: • Fund-based approaches: • Gender parity rules can be stipulated for local o Independent: FUNBIO (Brazil), PROFONANPE (Peru) councils, cooperatives and producer organizations to o Managed by state: Amazon Fund (Brazil), Reforestation open up greater access by women to key decision- Fund (Indonesia), FONABOSQUE (Bolivia) making arenas. Such rule changes can also include o Within state budget: donor aid (Nepal, Mozambique, social support measures for women, for example by Vietnam) asking communal leaders to help women speak out in • Forest concessions: Many countries, such as Cameroon meetings and become more confident. and Liberia, have laws that require concessionaires to • Dedicated spaces such as schools or medical facilities allocate a certain portion of their revenues to improving can be provided for women to meet and discuss 8 TAKING ACTION ON GENDER GAPS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES community issues. Every morning, most women walk and natural resource management sectors, strengthening their children to the nearest school in many countries. the roles of professional women in implementing policy objectives for rural women’s empowerment and Thus, educational facilities could be a space to present gender equality within these sectors, and addressing programs or activities, without forcing women to leave organizational barriers that obstruct women from realizing their homes and routines for too long. Medical facilities, positions of leadership and influence to take on such roles. churches, market places, and community centers also WOCAN has developed courses on leadership, gender- can be convenient meeting spaces and places to share integrated planning and related topics, and a certification information about programs and subsidy schemes that standard called W+ (www.wplus.org) to measure different women can apply to. aspects of women’s empowerment as outcomes of gender-transformative agriculture, forest landscape, and There is evidence that organizing women into groups natural resource management projects. for effective collective action can help them overcome their reluctance to speak out, act, or intervene. This is The African Women’s Network for Community particularly important for obtaining credit, machinery and Management of Forests (REFACOF)3 is another example tools, access to resources and support services, as well as of a gender-forests network. It aims to empower African bulking products to access new markets (Shackelton et al. women to influence REDD+ processes and projects and 2011). Excluding women from community forest groups secure women’s rights in forestry and natural resource has been found to have negative efficiency consequences management. It was created because the lack of collective as well as social ones (Agarwal 2001; Agarwal et al. 2006). action among women’s organizations was seen as a Thus, making these organizations more inclusive is an pressing issue. Strengthening women’s forest landscape- important first step. related networks and partnering with men has allowed them to advocate for comprehensive gender equality Capacity-strengthening efforts, such as leadership and across Africa. technical trainings targeted at women in particular, have been found to result in enhanced and more sustainable management of forests (Moss 2011; Mwangi et al. 2011). Strengthening Women’s Access to Credit and These can include the following types of interventions: Value Chains for Forest-Related Activities and Enterprises • Equitable training of community members or women’s forest user groups in tree nurseries, forest management Little or no access to credit by women for forest-related and protection, monitoring, eco-tourism services, and activities and enterprises is the norm and not the exception so forth (Haverhals et al. 2014). Thus interventions aimed at • Establishment of village-level demonstration plots with strengthening equitable access to credit are badly needed tree species that meet different needs in many countries. These include credit programs targeted • Knowledge exchange workshops and south-south at women and other traditionally less empowered groups visits among women’s forest-related groups involved in non-timber forest products (NTFP) activities, for • Provisioning community tree nurseries with seeds and example. Loans or subsidies to tree nurseries created and seedlings targeted to women’s and men’s needs run by women is another example. • Training of women and youths in harvesting and processing technologies for forest products, such as Recent research on women’s roles in forest-related value grasses, teas, herbs, cosmetics, medicinals, aromatic chains is also highlighting opportunities for women (and plants, sustainable charcoal, honey others that have been traditionally marginalized from commercial activities) to benefit more if these value chains Networks that link up and empower female forest users become more gender equitable (Elias and Arora-Jonsson are increasingly being recognized as offering innovative 2016; Ingram et al. 2014). Ingram et al. (2016) found that investment opportunities. For example, Women women are mostly active in harvesting and small-scale Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource retail trade, while men are running the larger forest- Management (WOCAN)2, established in 2004, is a women- related businesses. Interventions aimed at improving the led international membership network of professional position of women (most did not target relations between women and men and women’s associations. It focuses on men and women) included improved technology and improving policies regarding gender within the agriculture marketing advice, infrastructural support, value-adding to 2 www.wocan.org 3 http://genderandenvironment.org/resource/the-african-womens-network-for-community-management-of-forests-refacof-empowering- african-women-to-influence-redd/ TAKING ACTION ON GENDER GAPS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES 9 products, and improved marketing. Ingram et al. (2016) cite landscape-related information and skills enhancement examples here of the mushroom chain in Mexico (Marshall opportunities as much as men. Even in countries where et al. 2006), honey in Rwanda (Matabishi 2012), shea in Mali REDD+ processes have been underway for many years, (Traoré 2002), and NTFP chains in Africa (Shackleton et al. for example, it appears that women remain much less 2011). Other successful efforts included organizing women informed and knowledgeable about restoration and tree- producers and processors into groups and linking them to planting opportunities and potential benefits than men traders in the sabai grass (Eulaliopsis binata) chain in India (Larson et al. 2018). Empowering women (and men) in NTFP (Singh 2012) and the shea chain in Senegal (Souare 2002). enterprises, agroforestry, and other activities involves a wide range of supportive actions, including targeted In a gender-targeted review of three other internationally trainings, technology transfer, business skills development, traded NTFP’s—gum arabic, gum olibanum (frankincense), leadership and negotiation capacity strengthening, and and honey from Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, and Zambia enhanced access to and ability to use market information respectively—Shackleton et al. (2011) suggest the (Haverhals et al. 2014; Ingram et al. 2016). following actions for enhancing women’s benefits: “greater recognition of informal markets, the opportunities and Supportive intervention options include: constraints associated with them, and their position • Equitable and accessible (language, location, timing, relative to export markets; improved support for collective methods appropriate for women) technical training action where this can provide women with greater voice, opportunities aimed at meeting diverse needs negotiating power, and help with economies of scale; more and constraints (such as agroforestry techniques, targeted training that addresses areas identified by women beekeeping, business skills development) as useful and important to them; time-saving technologies • Inclusive market-oriented activities such as quality and support systems such as child care; and creating improvement campaigns, networking with traders, greater gender awareness amongst stakeholders.” trade fairs, and others • Awareness campaigns highlighting forest-related Other interventions aimed at enhancing efficiency as well opportunities for women and men (for example, as equity of forest-related value chains that are increasingly through social media, radio, and TV) being seen include: • Interventions introducing labor-saving technologies • Inclusive market-oriented activities such as quality that free up women’s time (such as nut cracking improvement campaigns, networking with traders, machines, trees for fodder and woodfuel, energy trade fairs, and so forth efficient stoves, and biogas plants) • Support for collective action (such as forest user groups • Targeted training of female forest advisory services/ and NTFP marketing groups) extension personnel • Interventions introducing labor-saving technologies that • Training of female “lead” forest advisors/facilitators free up women’s time (such as nut cracking machines, • Funding forest and agroforestry-related rural trees for fodder and woodfuel, energy efficient stoves, “edutainment”—TV, radio shows, and media and biogas plants) (Haverhals et al. 2014) campaigns that highlight women’s pivotal role in reforestation, agroforestry, land restoration, tree- planting, and climate change mitigation efforts Building Knowledge and Skills • Supporting citizen science approaches (farmer/forest Another gender gap prevalent in the forest sector is experimentation) that integrate women’s (and men’s) the frequent reality that women are not receiving forest traditional knowledge with scientific knowledge 10 TAKING ACTION ON GENDER GAPS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES EXAMPLES OF GENDER-RESPONSIVE FOREST LANDSCAPE INITIATIVES Globally driven but nationally implemented forest-related The syntheses are found in Annex 1. These gender action initiatives such as REDD+ are increasingly recognizing that plans continue to evolve and the brief descriptions provided despite their main focus on reducing carbon emissions in the Annex are not intended to be comprehensive. Rather, from forests, people play a central role in the success of they are illustrative for learning purposes—particularly for the initiatives. This has led to more emphasis on inclusive countries that are just starting with such initiatives. processes, as well as including gender-responsive actions that address gender gaps, and a concern that these efforts Important to note is that all the roadmaps have used highly have been ineffective to date (Chomba et al. 2017; Larson collaborative, participatory processes that include many et al. 2018). A recent study analyzed subnational REDD+ diverse individuals and groups—men and women—in their initiatives in six countries to see how well they were development. Beyond such critical inclusive processes, doing with respect to desired gender outcomes. It found however, it is informative to note common actions across that perceived well-being decreased in REDD+ villages most of these plans. These include: relative to control villages for both men and women, but • Trainings/capacity strengthening targeted to the needs the decrease was much worse for women (Larson et al. of women (including needs related to weather, climate 2018). The authors suggest that these declines may be change, greenhouse gases (GHG), REDD+, related partly due to unrealized expectations for REDD+, but policy frameworks, gender considerations, safeguards, clearly point to the need for more attention to gender in and the national REDD+ strategy, forest governance, REDD+ initiatives. forest management, and agroforestry techniques) • Collective action—support to existing and new Other lessons learned from REDD+ experience to inclusive forest user groups date (see Table 1) show that gender is often addressed • Rules, targets, quotas—aimed at equitable superficially: even when women participate, they lack participation and benefits from forest-related programs, the awareness and information of REDD+; many actions including women in leadership positions increase women’s workload; women are often left out of • Joint signatures (both spouses, or women only where REDD+ benefits; and women’s preferences regarding appropriate) on contracts or certificates (such as land/ benefits are not considered. Failing to address gender tree/forest rights certificates) thus has serious detrimental impacts on women’s well- • New credit and financing mechanisms targeting being and program delivery. women’s forest and agroforestry-related enterprises In response to these concerns, many countries have and groups developed or will be developing gender-REDD+ • Earmarked budgets for project activities that roadmaps with action plans. Here we review seven explicitly target and help close gender gaps of them to understand just what kinds of gender- responsive actions are being proposed and starting to Many of these plans have focused primarily on inclusive be implemented in a wide range of countries. processes as a necessary starting point. Getting more inclusive rules, policies, and processes in place, ideally with gender champions in positions of power, is critical REDD+ Gender Action Plans/Roadmaps to the success of any gender-responsive actions taken. A second key step is beginning to shift the focus from having We reviewed gender action plans (also referred to as women on committees and in community forest-related roadmaps4), developed in the context of integrating gender meetings toward actions that ensure their participation into REDD+ processes in seven countries, in order to learn is meaningful and their needs are met, and benefits from what types of specific gender-responsive actions and forest initiatives are actually reaching them. That is easy to activities they included. Lessons from the similarities and say and not so easy to do in practice in many instances. the differences across this diverse range of experiences are Below, we summarize several initiatives that are attempting drawn. The seven countries are Mexico, Ghana, Uganda, to do so, to illustrate what this looks like in practice. Cameroon, Vietnam, Nepal, and Guatemala. 4 http://genderandenvironment.org/resource/cameroon-ghana-ugandas-gender-redd-roadmaps-a-national-policy-level-initiative/. TAKING ACTION ON GENDER GAPS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES 11 World Bank Group-Supported Forest Therefore, women’s opportunities to benefit from public Investment Examples programs have been limited. Community governance structures and decision-making bodies have also been Forest landscape projects and investments supported by predominantly male, further limiting women’s participation the WBG are increasingly including gender analyses as in forest management. well as actions and activities that are explicitly aimed at addressing gender-related constraints and opportunities A recent gender analysis, led by the WBG’s Environment (Kristjanson and Jensen 2018). These also offer illustrative and Natural Resources group, analyzed perceived and examples of the kinds of gender-responsive forest actual barriers women face in accessing natural resource interventions that can be considered by forest agencies management programs in Mexico. The study team and others. Several of these are summarized here to identified multiple barriers to women’s participation. These highlight the types of specific actions that are possible and include complex sign-up procedures, lack of aspirations, stimulate ideas for similar ones in future project designs. low self-efficacy and confidence, and lack of commitment to follow-through with intentions (World Bank 2018). Adding a Gender Lens to Forest Programs in Mexico Based on the initial study, the team is using insights Addressing gender issues in practice involves targeted from behavioral science to design solutions that simplify analyses to understand critical gaps that can be addressed procedures, increase women’s aspirations through role in specific contexts. Community forest management in models, and provide commitment devices such as SMS Mexico, for example, is widely recognized for its scale and reminders and hotlines to support women through the level of sophistication. Since the 1990s, the Government application process.5These innovations, which are being of Mexico has run a series of community-focused field-tested, are intended to provide solutions for replication programs that provide incentives and advice to improve at landscape level. This “action research” will contribute forest management. Based on a system of collective land to the much-needed evidence of the benefits, costs, ownership and sound community governance structures, and impacts of gender-responsive approaches in forest the country’s forest sector policies and programs landscape investments. It will also test and demonstrate recognize ejidos and communities as central to rural innovative and relatively low-cost solutions and actions that development. Mexico’s community forest management similar programs in other countries could adopt. strategy includes targeted incentive programs (such as Under a World Bank Loan linked with a dedicated grant subsidies) related to infrastructure, access to finance, mechanism (DGM) aimed at indigenous and local technical assistance and forest management-related communities, women-targeted finance windows have been capacity strengthening. However, roughly 80 percent established and are expected to enable women to access of forest landowners are male, and subsidies have finance for productive natural resource management traditionally gone to those with land titles. Photo by Gerardo Segura/ World Bank 5 Funded by the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) and Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) 12 TAKING ACTION ON GENDER GAPS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES activities. Both activities are intended to enhance Côte d’Ivoire Forest Investment Project women’s livelihoods through productive natural resource management and to allow women to receive benefits A recent US$15 million World Bank Forest Investment from incentive programs, but also from enhanced access Project in Côte d’Ivoire, supported by the Forest to sustainable value chains in forest landscapes. Creating Investment Program, aims at conserving and increasing this special supply, however, will require strengthening the forest stock and improving access to sources of women’s capacity and demand for these programs. The income from sustainable forest management for selected gender analysis described provides the necessary inputs communities in target zones. The design team identified to work towards that objective (Box 1). and included actions to address project-relevant gender gaps. These gender actions include the following: • Support for the development of participatory community forest management plans that must include women in Box 1. Case Study: Strengthening leadership positions in all committees Demand for Targeted Women Programs • Training and technical assistance earmarked for women and youth associations engaged in forest In 2017 the National Forestry Commission restoration activities (CONAFOR) program in Mexico called “Productive • Establishment of performance-based contracts, signed Forestry Projects for Women” was initiated. Of by both women and men, for planting and protecting the 51 applications received, 10 projects were trees on-farm near and inside gazetted forests approved for a total amount of US$548,223 (the • The inclusion of a requirement that 50 percent of subsidy per project can range from US$10,000 incentive-based subproject funds must be directed to to US$100,000) to support manufacturing of targeted gender activities furniture, handicrafts, charcoal, and food from • The inclusion of a technical assistance component that forest products. The reasons for not approving includes sharing knowledge with women about potential the remaining 41 projects vary; they include agroforestry species that meet their needs noncompliance with eligibility criteria, submission • A specification that the project implementation and M&E of incomplete application, no accreditation manuals must include sections detailing: 1) actions and of legal ownership of land or lack thereof, or indicators aimed at addressing gender gaps identified failure to specify the location where support during project preparation; 2) gender-based violence would be applied. The submission of incomplete (GBV) risk related to project implementation; and 3) a applications could be explained by: 1) public grievance redress mechanism for addressing GBV. servants/technical advisors and forestry promoters facing challenges when communicating application This project is still fairly unique in an explicit inclusion processes and addressing barriers that women of gender activities, and a budget for them, targeted at face; 2) women lacking the capacities to apply; addressing constraints faced by women in the project and 3) women not knowing about the existence of area who will be implementing many of the actions. This the program or lacking detailed information (few raises the likelihood of achieving enhanced equity goals women applied to this program). Furthermore, in as well as the effectiveness of the project in achieving its order to receive this special women-only subsidy, sustainable forest management objectives. women must contribute between 10 and 50 percent in cash or in kind under the 2017 program. Other Forests-Gender Initiatives Women often lack cash or access to credit to provide the necessary counter-financing. As of W + Certification Standard 2016, only 38 percent of rural women had a bank account, and access to financial services was low. An innovative approach (and tool) that addresses the Only 11 percent of the rural population requested need for project implementers to measure how women formal credits and only 5 percent of ejidos and are benefitting from interventions is the W+ certification communities engaging in sustainable forest standard for women’s empowerment (WOCAN 2018).6 This management accessed financial services. Thus, instrument was created by WOCAN in response to the there are important opportunities to make projects need to measure the impact of women’s empowerment and programs more gender inclusive and better and accelerate investments to address persistent gaps targeted to women, something the World Bank. in women’s access to resources and capital. W+ provides 6 www.wocan.org and wplus.org TAKING ACTION ON GENDER GAPS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES 13 metrics to measure women’s empowerment within existing and Indigenous Peoples’ producer organizations and and new projects across six areas: time, income, health, governments at local, national, regional and international leadership, education and food security. This platform levels that: enables governments, companies, and individuals to 1. Strengthen smallholder, women, community and achieve transparency and effectiveness using a results- Indigenous Peoples’ producer organizations for based framework. The emphasis of the standards is on the business/livelihoods and policy engagement; enhanced recognition of women’s roles in the forest sector. 2. Catalyze multi-sectoral stakeholder policy platforms The standard provides certification for economic with governments at local and national levels; development or environment projects that generate 3. Link local voices and learning to global arena through increased social and economic benefits for women. These genuine participatory processes/communication and benefits can be in the shape of time- and labor-saving information sharing. mechanisms, improved renewable energy technologies, By strengthening and empowering forest-farm producer and/or participation in forest and agriculture activities. organizations to develop business plans, for example, Women stand to benefit from the certification in two these groups are able to gain access to credit and ways: first, from project activities that meet the criteria strengthen forest-related value chains. Women’s active for the certification (determined through consultation participation and leadership in these organizations is with the women beneficiaries during project design), and supported by FFF rules and actions that include: second, from direct payments to women’s groups that are generated through sales of the W+ units and provided by • Sex disaggregated monitoring the project developers. • Budget allocations to gender-targeted activities • FFPOs self-assessments and gender-based value The application of the W+ Standard demonstrates that chain analyses many “forest smart” interventions involve saving time and • Targeted support to women-only organizations efficient use of water and fuelwood, which are particularly • Women as a focus of capacity development efforts beneficial to women. For example, the W+ certification has • “Women champions” as mentors (e.g. Nepal, The been used in biogas digester projects with women’s groups Gambia, Kenya, Bolivia) in Nepal and Indonesia. This has resulted in measured and • Small grants and access to finance for women’s verified energy and time savings for women, along with enterprise groups improvements in income, assets and leadership capacity. The W+ Standard is also being applied in agroforestry-, Beyond the country level, regional and global grants water-, and food-related projects across Africa and Asia. are given to these organizations to help link them to regional and international networks and platforms that The Forest and Farm Facility represent forest and farm producers and forest rights holders. These platforms allow local groups to bring The Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) is a partnership between their efforts to the notice of global decision-makers to FAO, IIED, IUCN and Agricord. This initiative is operating facilitate successful local-level investments, and help in at least eleven countries (Bolivia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, shape international and national policies and actions Liberia, Gambia, Kenya, Zambia, Liberia, Nepal, Myanmar, through the sharing of knowledge and experience Vietnam) as well as regionally and globally. Their approach among local forest and farm producers. focuses on forest-farm producer organizations7, with a strong gender lens. It funds partnership agreements and small grants with smallholder, women, community 7 www.fao.org/partnerships/forest-farm-facility/en/ 14 TAKING ACTION ON GENDER GAPS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES 6.0 CONCLUSIONS This paper argues that issues arising due to gender interventions to consider in the design and implementation inequalities should be viewed as potential opportunities to of such projects and programs that include the following: take actions that enhance both gender equality and forest • Earmarking training and technical assistance for landscape management, resulting in transformational women and youth in areas such as leadership; NTFP change on both fronts. It examines what this means in a production, processing and marketing; environmental very practical sense for project designers, policy makers, and ecotourism services; forest management; forest and other forest landscape decision makers. It reviews the restoration or agroforestry practices, with a focus on literature and a wide range of forest-related projects and appropriate tree species for men and women programs in many countries in order to bring together • Supporting the development of participatory ideas as to specific gender-responsive investments, project community forest management plans that include activities, and policy actions that can be considered in women in leadership positions in all committees different environments. • Establishing performance-based contracts with joint signatures for planting and protecting trees on farms, Prioritizing these actions requires context-specific as well as near and inside forests analysis, which is why gender analysis prior to, or during, • Including budget line items for gender-targeted the conceptualization stage of projects is so critical, activities along with monitoring sex-disaggregated outcome • Including actions and indicators to address specific measures during implementation. The widespread lack gender gaps identified in project conceptualization of sex-disaggregated data in the forest sector makes this investment an imperative for governments and others. A For governments, particularly forest-related agencies, better understanding of how sex, ethnic group, age, asset the findings suggest potential gender-responsive wealth, and so forth influence forest landscape decision- actions that include: making is also badly needed in many countries. • Forest policies, strategies, and legislation that include gender considerations Most of the interventions reviewed here focus on women. • Training forest personnel in the collection of sex- Yet gender scholars argue that much more attention to the disaggregated data and inclusive, participatory interactions between men and women, gender dynamics engagement, and forest landscape management and power issues, and men’s roles and behavior from the planning processes household to the political arena (Colfer and Minarchek • Providing targeted communication channels and 2012) is needed. The emphasis on inclusiveness, seen feedback mechanisms (such as text messages) to across a wide range of interventions covered here, is potential female applicants of forest landscape programs about getting a better balance of men and women making • Facilitating registration for forest-related programs in decisions about forest landscapes together. But further easily accessible spaces where women already go (such work is needed in bringing together evidence of the types as schools, local markets, and health care centers), and of interventions that are successfully tackling gender training and hiring female technical advisors issues and opportunities from a starting point of the men. • Earmarking training and technical assistance to women and youth groups engaged in forest restoration activities While this review does not examine gender-responsive For investors, development agencies, and private sector forest landscape interventions from a safeguards actors, potential actions to consider are: viewpoint, the World Bank and other agencies do follow strict procedures to ensure no harm will be done. For • Supporting gender analyses in forest landscapes and example, gender-based violence is a serious threat in taking steps to include them in forest strategy documents some places, and actions taken to empower women may • Employing new mechanisms such as the W+ Standard in fact put some at risk. Thus safeguard approaches are to channel funds directly to women and to measure the critical and complementary to those explored in this paper. impacts of gender-responsive forest landscape efforts • Supporting the use of innovative tools such as This review offers suggestions to developers of forest participatory resource mapping and citizen science to landscape projects (and those investing in them) on a wide improve understanding of gendered forest landscape range of practical, gender-responsive actions that will lead restoration constraints and opportunities to address them to more effective and equitable impacts. It highlights • Encouraging a value chain approach for the design of TAKING ACTION ON GENDER GAPS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES 15 interventions that assist women and other marginalized The thought of designing and implementing gender- peoples to participate in and benefit from value-added transformative landscape initiatives of any type (projects, activities programs, policies, or capacity strengthening efforts) can • Investing in research into labor-saving innovations that be quite daunting. 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REDD+ and Ghana - Emissions Reduction Program: Ghana Cocoa gender have been thoroughly analyzed in Mexico Forest REDD+ Programme (GCFRP) (Supported by FCPF under a number of initiatives and programs, including and IUCN). The Ghana REDD+ Gender Action Plan World Bank lending (Forest and Climate Change, Forest was developed by the National Gender Sub-Working Entrepreneurship), the FCPF, and FIP (including the Group (GSWG, part of National REDD+ Working Group, DGM). In addition, multistakeholder initiatives have held within the Forestry Commission), the Forestry focused on this priority issue. Most recently an innovative Commission, led by the Climate Change Unit (CCU); the behavioral science approach has complemented previous National REDD+ Secretariat (NRS); the Safeguard Focal work and provided new insides on empowering women Persons (SFPs); and the IUCN Global Gender Office and in productive natural resource management (see Box 1). country Project Office in Ghana. Clear, realistic, and appropriate targets are presented for women’s participation in REDD+ related activities Gender actions including in Ghana’s Gender Action in Mexico’s Gender-REDD+ Action Plan. Results are Plan include: organized into goals, recommendations, and indicators:8 • Establishment of a Gender Desk within the Forestry • Goal 1: Facilitate application processes and Commission accommodate time lines to community decision- • Development of a women-centered conditional cash making procedures transfer program to advance gender equality • Goal 2: Mainstream gender at all policy and • Trainings for GSWG regarding institutional coordination government levels and monitoring, reporting and verification tasks, training • Goal 3: Enhance policy coherence across programs, of women’s groups and other project implementers, institutions, and levels of government gender awareness campaigns • Goal 4: Distribute legal land tenure more equally • Participatory and gender-responsive processes for throughout the population and work around developing Management Plans for each (forest) customary laws Hotspot Intervention Area • Goal 5: Promote women’s representation and • Gender trainings of local communities and participation in decision-making processes stakeholders in landscape restoration projects • Goal 6: Fight the poverty traps resulting from • Gender trainings for regional safeguard focal points women’s time burdens, economic marginalization, and forestry commission staff in all 10 regions and blunted aspirations • Awareness raising with the regional safeguard focal • Goal 7: Provide accessible information on programs points about safeguards issues in relation to REDD+ • Goal 8: Mitigate scarcity scenarios by reducing and the different gender roles and rights issues that complexity and access barriers through simplification, need to be considered in REDD+ implementation improved choice architecture, and nudging • Identification of challenges to, and opportunities for, • Goal 9: Expand women’s self-concept through role ensuring robust safeguards processes to enhance social models inclusion and gender equality, especially around drivers • Goal 10: Target influencers to reframe social norms of degradation and cocoa expansion and production 8 See World Bank (2018), Chapter 4 for more details. TAKING ACTION ON GENDER GAPS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES 21 Photo by Kylie Nicholson/Shutterstock Photo by Denis Gateau Uganda - Gender-REDD+ Roadmap. This was developed Cameroon - Gender REDD+ Roadmap. The development by the REDD+ Gender Task Force, supported by FCPF, of Cameroon’s Gender REDD+ Roadmap involved IUCN’s together with representatives Ministry of Gender, Global Gender Office, the National Gender Task Force for Labor and Social Development; gender focal points of REDD+ and Climate Change, the National Civil Society development partners; and IUCN’s Global Gender Office. Platform for REDD+, and Cameroon’s Gender REDD+ It includes the following actions: Task Force, supported by FCPF. The Roadmap includes • REDD Gender Task Force (GTF) established the following actions: • Gender-sensitive safeguards included in National • Development and validation of a National Strategy REDD+ Strategy on involvement of indigenous people (IP) in REDD+ • National Park REDD+ project management committee processes to ensure active participation of IPs in that is 40 percent female national REDD+ processes • Knowledge-sharing event on gender mainstreaming in • Training of gender focal points of different ministries, forest-related interventions regional focal points of the civil society REDD+ • GTF support to traditional authorities and local and climate change platform, IP representatives governments on mechanisms for women’s land acquisition of the Ministry of Environment, national and and training women on land acquisition procedures regional gender-based organizations, and different • Study on sustainable forest management and development partners and research institutions agroforestry opportunities for women and gender- • Training of over 40 members of the national gender responsive practices in forest management and task force on gender and REDD+ with a focus conservation initiatives on gender advocacy and REDD+; gender and • Facilitating women’s organizations, CSOs, and women development approach; gender sensitive planning parliamentarians to develop a common advocacy and gender-responsive budgeting agenda to review of current legal framework, and the • Fundraising activities to sponsor the functioning of national legislation in view of REDD+. the task forces and the implementation of prioritized • Fostering a dialogue with traditional authorities/local activities from the Gender Action Plan. government institutions on women’s rights issues • National Gender Action Plan for REDD+ and Climate pertinent to land tenure. Trained local women on land Change for 2015–2016, which presented the Logical acquisition procedures Framework on Interventions, Activity schedule, and • Establishing contacts with the Women Parliamentarian Fund-Raising Strategy Association and the gender focal points of development • A National Gender Action Plan that presents seven partners to identify representation in the Task Force. intervention axes, as a part of national gender mainstreaming axes in REDD+. 22 TAKING ACTION ON GENDER GAPS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES Photo by NOWAK LUKASZ/Shutterstock Photo by Nikada Nepal - Gender Integration in REDD+ and the Emission Vietnam - Empowering ethnic minority women for Reduction Program (ERPD) in Nepal. Supported by FCPF, REDD+, climate change, and sustainable development this Gender Action Plan was developed by WOCAN, projects. This project, supported by FCPF, is led by the REDD+ Implementation Center (RIC), the Ministry of Tebtebba (Indigenous Peoples’ International Centre for Forests and Soil Conservation, and the Chief REDD-IC. Policy Research and Education), along with the Center The Emission Reduction Program includes: for Research in Upland Areas (CERDA). A Gender Action • A gender analysis and Gender Action Plan that is Plan was developed as a part of the Environmental and mainstreamed in the ERPD, with gender components in Social Management Framework (ESMF) for the ERPD, and all seven intervention areas (that is, improved community- includes the following actions: based forest management (CBFM) and governance, • Self-governing groups (SGGs) formed, to be handover of national forests to CBFM regimes, incorporated into legal co-ops promoting private forestry, expanding alternative • 21 percent of the heads of the SGGs are women, energy with biogas plants and improved cookstoves, and 65 percent of women benefitted from meeting enhancing pro-poor leasehold forestry, integrated land- attendance, capacity building, and institutional use planning, and protected area management) development initiatives • Consultations with relevant stakeholders and • Knowledge sharing on gender-related government institutions at the local, subnational, and national levels policies, programs, rights • A rule that parish-level forest user group committees • Applications for forest user rights through household must be 50 percent female, and the vice president or certificates secretary must be a woman • Women’s group participation in government forest • A rule that both men and women must be signatories plantations on bank accounts to receive community forest • Requests for certified tree seedlings and technical project benefits trainings from government • A target of 30 percent of forestry project benefits (such • Training in Free and Prior Informed Consent (FPIC); as loan programs to forest enterprises) going to women laws, policies, and programs related to REDD respectful • In each community parish, benefits should be of the availability of women from their domestic chores, earmarked, 25 percent for forest management, and 35 the community cycle, and other sociocultural events percent goes to the community, including women • Community dialogues with provincial authorities • A target for supporting buffer zones, ecotourism, and energy efforts that include and empower women TAKING ACTION ON GENDER GAPS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES 23 Photo by EdoMor Guatemala - Gender-REDD+ Roadmap. This was developed within the PROBOSQUE program, together with The Ministry of Environment and National Resources, (MARN); the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food (MAGA); National Forest Institute (INAB); National Council for Protected Areas (CONAP); and FIP/CIF (Forest Investment Program of the Climate Investment Funds). MARN, MAGA, INAB, and CONAP gender experts led the highly consultative process of Roadmap design. This Roadmap includes: • Recognition of the importance of equitable access to and benefits from: 1) land tenure rights; 2) biodiversity and environmental services; 3) access to forest-related information; 4) full and effective participation of women and men in forest governance; 5) women’s leadership, and empowerment in decision-making; and 6) compliance with local, national and international laws, and treaties and conventions on women’s rights • Strategic actions, defined by women, for mainstreaming gender throughout the REDD+ phases, with specific training needs identified related to weather, climate change, greenhouse gases (GHG), REDD+, related policy frameworks, gender considerations, safeguards, and the national REDD+ strategy • Financial mechanisms for women and men to access private banking resources • Capacity building on forest governance for public institutions, IPs, women’s groups, and local communities • Consolidation and diversification of IPs, women’s groups, and local communities´ livelihoods, through the promotion of productive models 24 TAKING ACTION ON GENDER GAPS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES Photo by Flore de Preneuf/ World Bank TAKING ACTION ON GENDER GAPS IN FOREST LANDSCAPES 25 Photo by miroslav_1 The Program on Forests (PROFOR) multi-donor partnership generates innovative, cutting-edge knowledge and tools to advance sustainable management of forests for poverty reduction, economic growth, climate mitigation and adaptation, and conservation benefits. Through its programs, PROFOR is advancing forest-smart development, which recognizes forests’ significance for sustaining growth across many sectors, including agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and water.