Integrating gender in forest management in Kenya

Abstract

In most parts of sub-Saharan Africa, forests play a fundamental role in the livelihoods of forest adjacent communities. Most of these communities depend almost fully on the natural resources around them. Forests are the largest and sometimes the only source of energy, building posts and poles, timber, a large percentage of food and fruits, fodder, herbal medicine, water and organic fertilizer. Forests also contribute towards agricultural production by providing land and soils for small scale crop production, provide security to the communities, play a role in spiritual and cultural issues and regulate weather patterns. This important linkage between forestry resources and rural livelihoods has affected the state of most forests. Many governments in the developing world have therefore opted to set up decentralization programmes aimed at maintaining and conserving forests while at the same time sustaining these rural livelihoods. In Kenya, decentralization of forest governance has taken the form of participatory forest management (PFM). Unfortunately, most of these programmes do not consider the differences that exist between men and women over rights and priorities in natural resources. However, significant inequalities in men's and women's access to property has led to women's greater dependence on natural resources (Agarwal, 1997) therefore the need to integrate gender in participatory forest management can no longer be ignored