Two decades of community forestry in Nepal: What have we learned?
Two decades of community forestry in Nepal: What have we learned?
Two decades of community forestry in Nepal: What have we learned?
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<strong>Two</strong> <strong>decades</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>community</strong> <strong>forestry</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Nepal</strong>: <strong>What</strong> <strong>have</strong> <strong>we</strong> <strong>learned</strong>?<br />
build<strong>in</strong>g section), tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g for women and Dalits <strong>in</strong> leadership skills and <strong>in</strong>formation<br />
on legal aspects <strong>of</strong> <strong>community</strong> <strong>forestry</strong> (Khadka, 1999), and opportunities for<br />
village level facilitation (young women and Dalits thus becom<strong>in</strong>g role models). The<br />
project has also used a quota system to ensure that equal numbers <strong>of</strong> women<br />
and men are employed at the fi eld level as Community Forestry Facilitators, and<br />
regular coach<strong>in</strong>g is provided to them by project staff.<br />
“NSCFP has done a very good job by declar<strong>in</strong>g quota for women for its service providers,<br />
fi eld facilitators and other benefi ciaries….The concept <strong>of</strong> Equal Pay for Equal Work has<br />
come <strong>in</strong>to practice.”<br />
Nawaraj Neupane, CEEPAARD, Dolakha<br />
“NSCFP has played a crucial role <strong>in</strong> tra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g women facilitators locally, but it still needs to<br />
<strong>in</strong>vest <strong>in</strong> capacity build<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> Dalits, women and the discrim<strong>in</strong>ated poor. We still need to<br />
change the m<strong>in</strong>dset <strong>of</strong> elites to become pro-poor, pro-women and pro-Dalit.”<br />
Usha Dahal, NSCFP<br />
Probably the aspect <strong>in</strong> which the project was least successful <strong>in</strong> promot<strong>in</strong>g gender<br />
awareness was <strong>in</strong> decisions over susta<strong>in</strong>able forest management (Night<strong>in</strong>gale,<br />
2007). Here the differ<strong>in</strong>g priorities <strong>of</strong> men and women (men be<strong>in</strong>g typically – but<br />
not always - particularly <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>come generation from timber and other<br />
NTFPs; women be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> a nearby supply <strong>of</strong> fodder and fuelwood) <strong>have</strong><br />
not always been <strong>we</strong>ll recognised and <strong>in</strong>corporated <strong>in</strong>to Operational Plans, although<br />
the situation varies considerably across the project area.<br />
The promotion <strong>of</strong> social <strong>in</strong>clusiveness amongst partners is generally considered<br />
to <strong>have</strong> been more successful amongst NGO service providers than with<strong>in</strong> the<br />
rather male-dom<strong>in</strong>ated Department <strong>of</strong> Forests. Nevertheless, gender balance <strong>in</strong><br />
staffi ng has not yet been achieved amongst the service providers who <strong>have</strong> worked<br />
for NSCFP. Amongst them, FECOFUN is the most successful <strong>in</strong> implement<strong>in</strong>g<br />
gender-balanced representation, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g at leadership level.<br />
“Those women who <strong>have</strong> been tra<strong>in</strong>ed do not <strong>have</strong> many opportunities to use their skill.<br />
There has been no self refl ection on the optimum use <strong>of</strong> tra<strong>in</strong>ed human resources <strong>in</strong> whom<br />
NSCFP <strong>in</strong>vested… The focus on women human resources is still limited and <strong>in</strong>adequate,<br />
as only 40% <strong>of</strong> the workforce <strong>in</strong> NGO managed work such as social mobilization are<br />
women; why not 50% women?”<br />
Kamala Basnet, FECOFUN, Dolakha<br />
At the political level, national level civil society women leaders such as Rama Ale<br />
Magar, Chairperson <strong>of</strong> HIMAWANTI <strong>Nepal</strong> and Apsara Chapaga<strong>in</strong>, Chairperson<br />
<strong>of</strong> FECOFUN strongly feel that once they ga<strong>in</strong>ed experience and knowledge <strong>of</strong><br />
leadership at the grassroot level (CFUG committees), they <strong>we</strong>re able to build<br />
confi dence for district and then national level leadership. They <strong>have</strong> now been<br />
approached by political parties to take responsibilities for women w<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>of</strong> political<br />
parties. Community <strong>forestry</strong> <strong>in</strong> this sense has been a spr<strong>in</strong>g-board to wider political<br />
careers for women.<br />
As far as the government partner is concerned, NSCFP’s scholarship programme<br />
has helped to improve social <strong>in</strong>clusiveness with<strong>in</strong> the Department <strong>of</strong> Forests.<br />
Ho<strong>we</strong>ver, this is only to a limited extent; thus for example there has never been<br />
a female DFO <strong>in</strong> the project area, and 90% <strong>of</strong> Rangers are still male. NSCFP<br />
recognised that women and Dalits work<strong>in</strong>g pr<strong>of</strong>essionally <strong>in</strong> the department serve<br />
as important role models; thus out <strong>of</strong> the 69 I.Sc scholarship recipients whose<br />
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