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