Discussion guide to be used by facilitators alongside a training video, concerning gender equity in forest management contexts.
The training video which highlights and emphasises the importance of gender equality in all levels of decision-making, process design, and practice for forest-based climate change mitigation. Shot in Vientiane in Lao PDR and the Baan Thung Yao community forest in Thailand, the video captures grassroots communities institutional knowledge of and experience with gender equity as it relates to forest governance, and its integration into forest management practices.
The video was produced by USAID-funded programs Grassroots Equity and Enhanced Networks in the Mekong (GREEN Mekong) and Lowering Emissions in Asia’s Forests (USAID LEAF), and also draws from best practices sourced from a joint study by Women Organising for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (WOCAN) and UN-REDD, and a case study produced by the Center for People and Forests.
The key messages from the video are:
Gender equity means fairness of treatment for women and men, according to their respective needs. This may include equal treatment or treatment that is different but which is considered equivalent in terms of rights, benefits, obligations and opportunities. Gender equity is a means to achieve gender equality.
Key aspects of gender equity that must be considered in any climate change initiative or project that focuses on forests, for sustainable forest management include: recognition of women and their constituencies as legitimate stakeholders in sustainable forest management; women’s decision-making influence on forest policies and programs; and equitable rights to fair benefit-sharing mechanisms from forest management and climate change initiatives.
It is possible to achieve gender equity, as shown through three best practices that supported integrating gender equity into forest management and climate change initiatives: developing capacities to improve women’s engagement in decision making; collecting and analysing gender-disaggregated data to inform climate change initiatives; and clearly recognising women’s contribution and ensuring they receive matching benefits.
The discussion guide goes on to provide a series of questions designed to help facilitators to encourage debate and discussion alongside the video. It is hoped that the questions can enable trainers and grassroots facilitators to delve deeper into the gender aspect of social equity in terms of forest-based climate change initiatives, including REDD+. Questions may be adapted or used as determined by the audience and the goals of the training or workshop, and are divided into two parts: the roles and responsibilities of women and men in forest management, and gender equity in forest management and governance. Finally, a selection of resources are suggested for further reading.
The training video can be found here: http://www.recoftc.org/videos/fair-climate-gender-equity-forestry-and-r…
[adapted from source]