CIFOR Report Examines Gender, Tenure and Sustainable Forest Management in Uganda

From IISD; CIFOR Report Examines Gender, Tenure and Sustainable Forest Management in Uganda
April 2012:
The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) has released a report documenting how women have been able to participate in community forest decision making in Uganda in the context of a series of national efforts toward the devolution of forest rights.

These efforts aim to achieve sustainable forest management. The study found that most government forestry projects do not feature gender issues prominently and that there is not an adequate budget to mainstream gender for most projects. It also noted that women’s participation in decision making has been improved in cases where women join formal forest user-group associations, and that the major factor inhibiting women’s participation in on-farm tree planting and plantation forestry has been gender disparities in land ownership, cultural norms, heavy domestic work loads, and limited access to credit.

The study finds that women who are equipped with better information and finances may be in a better position to participate effectively in the management of forest resources. CIFOR is a member of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). [Publication: Gender, Tenure and Community Forests in Uganda]