Women, Men and Forest Research

"The year 2011 was the International Year of the Forest, which witnessed growing interest globally in the links between people and forests. Some of that attention has been directed at women’s roles as well..."

This study is intended to provide some methodological guidance to improve abilities at addressing and evaluating gender issues in forest use and management. The authors include some discussion of the substance and topics addressed as an awareness-building strategy: "besides methodological uncertainty, many researchers and managers express uncertainty about relevant topics relating to gender and forests." Resources in the document, which was produced as part of the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (CRP6) and the gender programme of the Center for International Forestry Research in Bogor, Indonesia, include a range of methodologies from which users can choose. The intended audience includes researchers as well as natural resource, development, and conservation managers.

From the second section on approaches and methods (footnotes removed by the editor): "In selecting among these approaches and methods, four general considerations are important to bear in mind. First, we need to consider who controls the research questions, process and findings. There will be instances where the researcher will control all of these (as is usual with biophysical research); but often in research with human beings, particularly when there are development, conservation and/ or sustainability considerations, the more control that can be devolved to community members, the better. With care, research can have both capacity building and empowerment functions, and careful involvement of community members can seriously strengthen the quality of one’s findings....

Some minimal requirements include:

• developing a systematic process for ensuring free, prior and informed consent from those involved in the research - this means a meaningful process, not just lip service
• protecting people’s anonymity or confirming their willingness to 'go public'
• taking care about issues of indigenous knowledge (which may mean a series of discussions with local people to determine their own wishes - some want to share, some do not)
• using pseudonyms for locations whenever one’s research could conceivably endanger local people’s rights or well being....

The second general consideration has to do with the notion of participation. Methods that are termed 'participatory' can mean very different things.... [T]ypologies of participation... range from very passive forms of involvement (attending a meeting, answering a survey) to something approaching serious empowerment and (shared) decision-making power. In selecting methods for working with women (and men), we recommend approaches that tend towards the latter....

Thirdly, as noted above and throughout the collection...men are part of the problem - but the degree to which they can be part of the solution also needs attention..... The fourth consideration has to do with the strengths and weaknesses of each method. No method or approach is perfect; and different contexts require creativity and responsiveness in one’s choice of methods. The most practical advice for overcoming known methodological weaknesses is to use multiple methods...

The fourth consideration has to do with the strengths and weaknesses of each method. None are perfect in every situation; and different contexts require creativity and responsiveness in one’s method of choice. The most practical advice for overcoming known methodological weaknesses is to use multiple methods...."

Widely applicable methods include surveys/questionnaires, interviews, case studies, and reviews of existing literature. Some methods offer large quantities of data; others can capture emotion and opinion. For short time frames, there are methods of participatory or rapid rural appraisal techniques (PRA and RRA). For those with social science training, "mid-level" academic methods, discussed in detail, include: use of existing documents, quantitative and qualitative analyses, computer-dependent methods, ethnography, and interpretive methods.

A long-term and collaborative approach  "adaptive collaborative management" (ACM) is defined as "a value-adding approach whereby people who have interests in a forest agree to act together to plan, observe and learn from the implementation of their plans while recognising that plans often fail to achieve their stated objectives. ACM is characterised by conscious, facilitated efforts among such groups to communicate, collaborate, negotiate and seek out opportunities to learn collectively about the impacts of their actions..." One goal of participatory involvement is for community members to eventually take on project facilitation goals themselves.

Gender and equity become paired issues.  Through PRA methods, including "wealth-ranking, Venn diagrams, social resource mapping, histo-ecological matrices, historical time lines, various kinds of interviews)"  designed to encourage the involvement of women (and other marginalised groups), one researcher in Nepal was able to clarify for the community "the differences in access to resources and decision-making power among them and strengthen their interest in improving equity." Others describe the empowering effects of the methods they used (pebble games and rights and means discrepancies among stakeholders) in Cameroon and ('learning diversity') in Indonesia - because having a voice requires self-confidence which might need to be built among women and marginalised groups through training in public speaking, in leading discussions, and in voicing opinions, sometimes through simple involvement in facilitated action groups. Steps for long-term involvement can include: developing a collaborative vision, planning and monitoring, and participatory modelling.

The authors conclude that a participatory approach like ACM is likely to address the specific constraints of women better than other research approaches, though it can involve significant time and risk if not undertaken appropriately. However, it can yield strengthened capacity at the local level and an "avenue through which local people can continue to influence policies and decisions that affect their lives and their environments."