Women's Participation in Community Forest Management (A Case Study of Chautari and Sundar Forest User Groups of Pathari Vdc, Morang District)

Abstract

The study entitled "Women's Participation in Community Forest Management: A case study of Chautary and Sundar Forest User Groups in Pathari VDC of Morang District" was done in the issue of women's participation in community forest management. Community forest is the people participatory approached in which the local users of the forest are involved planning, development, protection, production and use of Forest resources. The concept of community forest comes in to practice in Nepal in the late seventies (1978). Activities present, the community forest program are lunched in most of the parts of Nepal. Community forestry is people oriented forest program in Nepal. The effectiveness of community forest in relation to people's participation is very crucial still, the primary forest users group (Women) is not found to participate properly in the community forest management. This study focused in the socio-economic status, participation or involvement of women in decision making, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, Benefits sharing, attitude of women affection factors relation to women's Participation in community forest management. To fulfill these objectives Chautary and Sundar community forest of pathari VDC of Morang District was selected as the study area. Chautary community forest users groups has 471 households out of total 47 (10%) HHs and Sundar community forest users groups has 151 households out of 15 (10%) Hs were selected as a sample unit. To meet the objective of the study primary and secondary data were collected from the field survey; these data are analyzed descriptively and analytically with the help of computer software program. vi The study has revealed that the involvement of women in community forest management is limited access of ordinary women in decision making in found lower. Women's participation in forest user’s group general assemblies and regular meeting was not active and decisive in both community forests. But in the case of benefit sharing access of both sexes was found almost equal percentage in both community forests. There is no gender based forest resources distribution system also. Executive committee takes part in monitoring and evaluation aspect. Women EC member was satisfactory in vital discussion and in taking decision. The education levels influential factors in active participation. the deferent CF related training has benefited the users in both community forest, the women who are less participate and use also active are found aware and motivated lower caste users are for behind in participation in community forest activities in both community forestry. Finding of this study show that women can plays significant role in community forest development, protection and management. Hence success of the community forestry program largely depends upon of women’s participation in its management from the very beginning. In study areas have mixed social composition. Near about 90% respondents had received training of the community forest management, upper cast majority also both Communities forestry. Therefore, more training should be conducted to make all these community forest was found a model forest because of they were awarded by the District forest office, But some changes should be made to purpose women's participation in community forestry management and department.