| Author | Chaudhary, Babita |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.GD-01-08 |
| Subject(s) | Women in forestry--Nepal
|
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of
Science, School of Environment, Resources and Development |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Thesis ; no. GD-01-08 |
| Abstract | Rishi Khola Malam Community Forest in Dadeldhura district was handed over to users'
group in 1992. The forest was in degraded condition before the hand over to user's group,
and after the handover it is being managed by the user group through people's participation.
This study aimed to identify gender specific roles in Community Forest and household
activities. An attempt is made to assess the extent of women's participation and barriers to
their involvement in the decision-making roles in users' group meetings. This study further
explores how the policy and the institutional arrangement are facilitating the grass root
women groups for an interactive participation.
The survey was conducted using Harvard Analytical Tools to evaluate the division of labor
and access to control over the resources. The fuel wood demand in the RKM FUG outstrips
the supply from the community forest, which is only adequate to cover demand for eight
months a year. During the period of shortages fuel wood needs of the households are mostly
met by fuel wood supply from a nearby CF ("Tripura Sundari) and to some extent by
collectibles from individual farmland or private land. Since women have the lone
responsibility of collecting and using the fuel wood, this situation demand women to walk
long distances and spare nearly whole day to collect and transport fuel wood. Attempts to
introduce alternative energy means such as using Improved Stove has not been that
successful in the absence of proper training and some impracticality in the technology.
Furthermore, because of poor income level and cash shortages the households are not in a
position to use other alternative energy sources.
In spite of women's higher labor contribution in community forest management activities
their participation in the decision-making role in the FUG committee is substantially lower.
CF policy of Nepal stipulates that women should have at least 30% representation in FUG
committees, which has been further strengthened by the provision that women be given
maximum numbers of seats in the committees. Community forestry program has also tried to
empower women in decision-making by involving them in training and workshop. Despite
these provisions, women face different barriers in participating the FUG committee and
meetings in terms of their active attendance and membership. One of the key barriers for
women to effectively participate in the FUG meeting is the unequal gender relation, which
has caused women's heavier workload in both the households and community forest labor
activities. Unless there is fair division of works in households these women are unlikely to
have effective participation even though the rules and regulations dictate that women be
represented. Other barriers are domination of men in society, cultural factors such as attitude
that women are less capable. |
| Year | 2001 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Thesis ; no. GD-01-08 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Department of Development and Sustainability (DDS) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Gender and Development Studies (GD) |
| Chairperson(s) | Resurreccion, Bernadette P.; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Kusakabe, Kyoko ;Shivakoti, Ganesh P. |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | DAAD, German ; |
| Degree | Thesis (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2001 |