Photo by Evan Gershkovich
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Although more than two-thirds of rural women participate in and contribute to forest use and
management,theirvoicesarerarelyheardinforest-relatedmanagementandplanning.
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DevelopmentofagendermainstreamingstrategyandactionplanintheForestDepartment(FD)
backedbyaninstitutionalcapacitydevelopmentprogrammeandprovisionofsuficientinancial
resourceswouldhelptopromotegender-sensitiveforestpoliciesandpractices.
•
Investmentinevidence-basedgender-andforestry-relatedresearchwouldhelptoimproveperceptions
ofwomen’srolesandcontributionstotheforestrysectoramongstakeholdersatdifferentlevels.
Key messages
Policy brief
Understanding women’s participation in
forestry in Sri Lanka
Background
As a signatory to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the UN DeclarationontheRightsofIndigenousPeoples(UNDRIP)andtheBeijingDeclarationandPlatformforActionaswellasthe UnitedNations’MillenniumDevelopmentGoals(MDGs),theGovernmentofSriLankahasundertakenvariousinitiativesat policyandinstitutionallevelstopromotegenderequality.ThisisexempliiedbytheestablishmentoftheNationalCommittee onWomenundertheMinistryofWomen’sAffairsin1993;ithasthemandatetosafeguardwomen’srightsandmainstream gender across all government agencies (MoAF 1995). President Mahinda Chintana’s 2010 ‘Vision for the Future’ as the developmentpolicyframework,acknowledgeswomen’scontributiontothecountry’seconomy,andspeciiesthatfuture policydirectionwillemphasizethecreationofanenablingenvironmentforwomentoexploittheirknowledgeonemerging opportunities.
ThisinstitutionalframeworkhascontributedtoreducinggendergapsintheeducationandhealthsectorsinSriLanka,but women’slowparticipationinthelabourforceandpolitics(e.g.only5percentrepresentationinthenationalparliament) remainsanobstacle.Thelabourforcecompositionissueandminimalparticipationindecision-makinghaveresultedina GenderInequalityIndex(GII)of0.565,indicatingarelativelywidegendergap.Forexample,womenaccountfor38percent ofthetotalworkforceinagricultureandaccountformorethan70percentofsubsistenceproductionefforts.Theyare heavilydependentonforestsforsubsistenceandfulillingthevariousneedsoftheirfamilies(Athukorala2013).
Women’sparticipationinforestrywasacknowledgedasearlyasthe1970swhenupto70percentofafforestationactivities forwatershedmanagementwasbeingconductedbywomen.DuringthatperiodtheFDproducedabout3millionplants annuallywith90percentoftheworkaccomplishedbywomen.However,thiswasdonewithoutpropermeasurestoenable themtoengageinandshareequitablebeneits(WOCAN2013).
GenderdisparitiesinSriLankaarelargelyattributabletoculturalnormsthatreinforcethenotionthatforestryisanexclusively maleprofession.Perversely,68to100percentofworkrelatedtogatheringofnon-woodforestproductsandapproximately 60to80percentofplantingandconservationmeasuresinhomegardensisdonebywomenbuttheircontributionsto forestryarestillperceivedassecondarytothoseofmen(Athukorala2013).Suchperceptionshaveinhibitedwomenfrom participating in forest-planning and management meetings, resulting in women’s low representation in forest-related decision-making.
Gender concerns in forest policies
OneoftheobjectivesoftheNationalForestryPolicy(1995)wastoenhancethecontributionofforeststothewelfareofthe ruralpopulationwhilepayingspecialattentiontomakingthenation’seconomicdevelopmentequitable.Italsorecognizes thetraditionalrights,culturalvaluesandreligiousbeliefsofpeoplelivinginandaroundforestareas.Moreover,thepolicy recognizesthatdeforestationisasigniicantenvironmentalandsocialproblemwithanegativeimpactoncommunities. However,itdoesnotmakespeciicreferencetowomenandtheimpactofdeforestationonthem,nordoesitoutlinea genderstrategyortheneedforintegrationofgenderconsiderations.
The irst Forestry Sector Master Plan (FSMP) was introduced in the 1980s. It was criticized for failing to involve all key stakeholdersintheplanningprocess.Toaddressthisshortcoming,thegovernmentconductedanenvironmentalreview in1989andbasedonitsrecommendations,developedthecurrentForestrySectorMasterPlan(FSMP)(1995-2020).The FSMPcoversenvironmental,socio-politicalandeconomicaspectsoftheforestrysector;itprovidesopportunitiestoenhance forestrypracticesbyexploringengagementswithcommunities,NGOsandtheprivatesectorforjointforestmanagement andleaseholdforestry(Athukorala2013).ThecurrentFSMPemphasizesempowermentofpeopleandruralcommunitiesfor thesustainablemanagementofmultipleforestuses,fortheirownbeneit,butoverlooksgenderrightsandresponsibilities aswellasbeneit-sharingmechanisms.Inaddition,theFDhasnogenderstrategytofacilitatetheinclusionofwomen’s concernsinforestryplansandinterventions.
AlthoughtheNationalForestryPolicyandthecurrentFSMPfailtofacilitatetheinclusionofwomen’sconcernsinforestry, theyprovideapotentialentrypointformainstreaminggenderinSriLankanforestry.
Many lessons and best practices can be learned from non-government sector and donor community initiatives that are encouraging women’s participation in grassroot-level development activities for natural resource management (Box 1). Howevermoreeffortsareneededtoaddressremainingkeychallenges(detailedbelow)tomainstreamgenderfurtherin forestpoliciesandpracticesinSriLanka:
• Thereisnopolicyframeworkforgenderinforestry;lackofadequateevidence-basedgender-disaggregatedstatisticson women’sinvolvementandcontributiontoforestryinhibitsinformedpolicyplanning.
• Verylittlehasbeendonetochangestakeholders’perceptionsandviewsonwomen’sparticipationinforestry,astheir workinforestryisstillperceivedtobesecondarytothatofmen.
• Inadequateinstitutionalcapacity,lackoftechnicalgenderexpertiseandinsuficientinancialresourcesprecludegender mainstreaming,includingtheestablishmentofagenderworkinggroupintheFD.
Box 1. Making forestry work for women
As there is no gender-focused forest policy and strategy within the FD, programmes supported by the Food and AgricultureOrganizationoftheUnitedNations,theUnitedNationsDevelopmentProgramme,theAustralianAgency forInternationalDevelopmentandotherdonoragenciesandinternationalnon-governmentorganizationshavebeen extremelyimportantforinitiating,promotingandsupportingactivitiesrelatedtowomenandforestryatthecommunity level.Forexample,AustraliansupportfortheUS$5millionCommunityForestryProgrammeisbeingimplementedina partnershipbetweenUNDPandtheFD(URSAustraliaPtyLtd2008).
Moving forward
ThefollowingactivitiesarerecommendedtohelpensurethatSriLanka’sforestpoliciesandprogrammesbeneitcommunities byrespondingtothedifferentneedsandconcernsofwomenandmen:
• To support the development of gender-inclusive plans and programmes and to accommodate concerns of relevant stakeholdersintheFSMP(1995-2020),multistakeholderdialoguesandconsultationmeetingsatnationalandsubnational levelsarecrucial.Itisimportanttocapitalizeontheexistingopportunityforengagingrelevantgovernmentstaffand departmentstoensurethatgender-sensitiveapproachesaretakenintoaccountwhiledevelopingandimplementing REDD+interventionsinthecountry.
• Thetechnicalcapacityofforestryoficialsongenderanalysisandgender-responsiveplanningshouldbestrengthenedto helpthembetterunderstandwomen’srightsandresponsibilitiesandtheircontributionstoforestuseandmanagement. • A gender working group should be formed within the FD to coordinate various internal/external activities and for
oversightofgendermainstreamingpractices.
• More investment is needed in evidence-based research and the development of a gender-sensitive monitoring and evaluationsystem,withgender-responsiveindicatorsforbetterunderstandingofgenderrightsandresponsibilitiesin forestry.
• Womenworkingintheforestrysectorshouldbeassistedinstrengtheningexistingwomen’salliancesandnetworks. Thissupportwouldhelpwomenandtheirrepresentativestoraiseawarenessaboutchangingperceptionsofwomen’s participationinforestry.
References
Athukorala,K.2013.Assessing integration of gender perspectives into Sri Lankan National Forest Policy.Unpublished. MinistryofAgricultureandForestry(MoAF).1995.National Forestry Policy.Colombo,ForestryPlanningUnit,MoAF.
URSAustraliaPtyLtd.2008.AusAID Sri Lanka Australia natural resources management project activity completion report.
AustralianAgencyforInternationalDevelopment.
WomenOrganizingforChangeinAgricultureandNaturalResourceManagement(WOCAN).2013.Women’s inclusion in REDD+ in Sri Lanka: Lessons from good practices in forest, agriculture and other NRM sectors.Bangkok,WOCAN.
Thisbriefispartofaprojectentitled‘MainstreamingGenderIssuesintoForestPoliciesofDevelopingAsia-PaciicForestryCommission