ON 24 JULY 2012. POSTED IN POLITICS
Unless the rights of women in Asia are recognized” the region is unlikely to meet it climate and poverty reduction goals.
This is the finding of the Rights and Resources Initiative which released a suite of analysis at the International Workshop on Gender and Forest Tenure in Asia and Collective Forest Tenure Reform in China.
Their analysis links the status of forest tenure rights and gender rights across South and South East Asia” focusing on the marginalization and exploitation of women in the resource management process.
In the last decade” concern over climate change has triggered new forest sector initiatives focusing on mitigation and adaption measures. One program that is considered especially promising is the Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation or REDD+ strategy.
According to the RRI analysis” REDD+ can provide significant benefits for countries in Asia if properly designed; however” limited participation by women and other marginalized groups” is a huge problem.
“Despite the evidence of women's extensive engagement in forest management” few institutions in the countries studied have incorporated gender into their activities and plans”” said Jeannette Gurung from Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management.
According to Cecile Ndjeber” president of the African Women's Network for Community Management of Forests” it's not just women that are harmed by the disenfranchisement.
“If women are left out of the land rights equation” we will see a drastic drop in agricultural production” leading to increasing food insecurity and potential famine”” she said.
Despite the recognition of equal tenure rights for men and women in the law of many Asian countries” women continue to be excluded from property rights and are seldom the owners of the land they cultivate.
If women's rights are recognized” concludes the study” Asia will benefit as they play a huge role in sustainable management of natural resources.
To ensure that climate and poverty goals on forest and land resources are met” countries and programs like REDD+ as well as various NGOs and CSOs working on natural resources must increase focus on gender if they wish to capitalize on the benefits emerging from secure women's rights to land.
This would include ensuring women's views are heard as well as policy creation and implementation to empower women and other disadvantaged groups.
The Rights and Resources Initiative is a global coalition of international” regional” and community organizations advancing forest tenure” policy and market reforms. It is coordinated by the Rights and Resources Group” a non-profit based in Washington D.C.
– EcoSeed Staff