Equity for Women and Marginalized Groups in Patriarchal Societies during Forest Landscape Restoration: The Controlling Influence of Tradition and Culture

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (03) ◽  
pp. 241-246
Author(s):  
Jack Baynes ◽  
John Herbohn ◽  
Nestor Gregorio ◽  
William Unsworth ◽  
Émilie Houde Tremblay
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Institutional Development ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Marginalized Groups ◽  
Forest Landscape Restoration ◽  
Participation Of Women ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Structured Approach

SummaryWe explore the difficulty of achieving equity for women in two forest and livelihood restoration (FLR) pilot projects, one each in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the Philippines. We use institutional bricolage as a framework to explain the context and background of stakeholders’ decision-making and the consequent impact on equity and benefit distribution. In the Philippines, material and institutional support was initially successful in assisting participants to establish small-scale tree plantations. A structured approach to institutional development has successfully evolved to meet the needs of women, even though corruption has re-emerged as a destabilizing influence. In PNG, despite success in establishing trees and crops, the participation of women was subjugated to traditional customs and norms that precluded them from engaging in land management decisions. The capacity-building and gender-equity principles of FLR consequently became compromised. We conclude that in some patriarchal societies achieving equity for women will be difficult and progress will be contingent on a detailed understanding of the effects of traditional customs and norms on participation and decision-making.

scholarly journals Small-scale fishing income and fuel consumption: Fiji’s artisanal sea cucumber fishery

2018 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 1758-1767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven W Purcell ◽  
Watisoni Lalavanua ◽  
Brian R Cullis ◽  
Nicole Cocks
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equity ◽  
Sea Cucumber ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Breath Hold ◽  
Net Income ◽  
Fuel Use ◽  
Sea Cucumbers ◽  
Deep Water Species ◽  
And Gender

Abstract Understanding the income and costs of fishing is fundamental to managing fisheries and planning interventions to improve efficiency and gender equity. Few studies offer data on fisher incomes and fuel use in small-scale fisheries (SSFs), and fewer have assessed factors influencing variation among fishers and between genders. We interviewed 235 artisanal fishers among 34 island villages in an artisanal sea cucumber fishery in Fiji. Linear mixed models were used to determine the effect of geographic and socioeconomic variables on incomes and fuel use from fishing sea cucumbers. Net income of sea cucumbers to fishers, averaging FJ$8, 171 year−1 (US$4, 494 year−1) (range: FJ$0–52,008 year−1), varied among villages and was 47% lower for women than men. On an average, 60% of fishers’ gross annual income came from fishing and selling sea cucumbers, although this proportion varied greatly even within villages. Fishers who practised gleaning, fished less often, or possessing numerous livelihood income streams, were less economically dependent on sea cucumbers. Men tended to estimate higher incomes for an average day of fishing than women when compared with their recall of last sale. Fuel use varied greatly among regions in Fiji but, overall, averaged 428 L fisher−1 year−1, and represented 28% of gross income. More economical fishing strategies by women resulted in lower fuel use than men per fishing day. Breath-hold divers used less fuel (compared to fishers using scuba) and fishers targeting deep-water species used more fuel than other fishers. A best approximation of 8000 t CO2 year−1 for the carbon footprint of the whole fishery suggests that some SSFs, such as the one studied here, can be significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, even compared to many large-scale fisheries globally. Reforms to the management of SSFs should consider regulations that minimize carbon emissions and reduce economic dependency on vulnerable marine resources.

scholarly journals Situated transformations of women and gender relations in small-scale fisheries and communities in a globalized world

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 241-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katia Frangoudes ◽  
Siri Gerrard ◽  
Danika Kleiber
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equity ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Women And Gender ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Small Scale Fisheries ◽  
Individual Household ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Many ◽  
Globalized World

AbstractThe need to uncover, interrogate, and integrate women’s contributions to fisheries in research and development has never been clearer. As coastal and fisheries management continues to look to the Sustainable Development Goals and the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication, as frameworks and mandates, gender equity and equality have become a central concern. To fill the still existing gap of documentation and theoretical engagement, in this thematic collection, we gather together voices from researchers and practitioners from around the world, with one overarching common approach of using a gender lens to examine the relationship between humans and aquatic resources. Drawing on Donna Haraway’s classic feminist concept of situated knowledges, we examine the many and varied approaches researchers are using to engage with the intersection of gender and fisheries. Beginning and ending with two reviews that examine where gender and fisheries has come from, and where it is going, this thematic issue includes case studies from 10 countries, engaging in the topic at various scales (individual, household, national, institutional etc.), and using multiple methodological approaches. Taken together, these pieces explore the mechanism by which women’s contribution to fisheries are overlooked and provide direct evidence to contest the persistent invisibility of women in fishing, fisheries labor, and fisheries decision-making. Going beyond the evidence of women’s contributions, the authors go further to examine different coastal contexts, intersectional identities such as age, and explore gender transformative approaches to fisheries development.

Feminist Activism, Union Democracy and Gender Equity Rights in Mexico

2010 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 749-777 ◽  
Author(s):  
RACHEL K. BRICKNER
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Women Workers ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Democratic Citizenship ◽  
Feminist Activism ◽  
Labour Unions ◽  
Union Democracy ◽  
Union Leadership ◽  
Participation Of Women ◽  
And Gender

AbstractBeyond competitive elections, democratisation should include a transformation of the institutions of state and civil society into spaces that recognise the rights of citizens and allow for their participation. This study explores the question of how Mexican labour unions are transformed into institutions with a commitment to the rights and participation of women workers. Drawing on evidence from five unions, the paper shows that compared to their corporatist counterparts, unions with a ‘democratic ethos’ provide a context within which gender equity rights are more readily recognised. However, recognition of gender equity is primarily dependent on feminist activism and union leadership. The paper argues that women's efforts to transform their unions into spaces that reflect and advocate for gender equity rights are critical to strengthening democratic citizenship in Mexico.

scholarly journals Assessing and Advancing Gender Equity in Lake Malawi’s Small-Scale Fisheries Sector

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 13001
Author(s):  
Elin Torell ◽  
Chikondi Manyungwa-Pasani ◽  
Danielle Bilecki ◽  
Innocent Gumulira ◽  
Gordon Yiwombe
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equity ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Belief Systems ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Small Scale Fisheries ◽  
Fisheries Resources ◽  
And Gender ◽  
And Control

Women play important, but often invisible, roles in Lake Malawi’s small-scale fisheries sector. This paper augments previous research by exploring the productive and reproductive roles that men and women have in fishing communities and how this shapes women’s access and control over fisheries resources. Contributing to advancing the understanding of how to strengthen women’s roles in the fisheries sector, this paper reports on a qualitative assessment conducted in seven Malawian lakeshore districts. Data collected via focus group discussions, which included gendered resource mapping exercises, revealed belief systems and gender norms that shape men’s and women’s access to and control over lacustrine resources. While both men and women have access to lake and land resources, their roles differ. Men dominate fishing resources whereas women dominate resources that are tied to household management. While all value chain nodes are open to men, women tend to be concentrated in lower-value processing and trading activities. Social norms and values shape people’s access and control over communal resources. It is noteworthy that women who earn an income from the fisheries value chain have more access to savings and credit and have more equal household bargaining power.

scholarly journals From ‘women’s business’ to ‘men’s business’: Exploring connections between vasectomy acceptance and equitable gender relations in South Tarawa, Kiribati

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Alex Hill
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Gender Relations ◽  
Division Of Labour ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Household Decision ◽  
Engaging Men ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Equitable Outcomes

<p>Engaging men in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) has implications for gender equality and sustainable development. Promoting vasectomy can foster more equitable gender relations between partners, but research on this topic is extremely limited. My research shows that, in Kiribati, vasectomy uptake is both a cause and a consequence of gender equitable relationships, but connections are complex. Vasectomy uptake can also result from, and lead to, inequitable behaviours.  Links between vasectomy uptake and gender relations among couples in South Tarawa, Kiribati were explored using a qualitative case study informed by feminist theory and principles from indigenous methodologies. Semi-structured informal interviews were held with five vasectomised I-Kiribati men and their wives, interviewed as a couple and individually. Comparative analysis was undertaken with two same-sex focus group discussions, one with non-vasectomised men and the other with their wives; and with six key informant interviews. Information generated was analysed thematically and further triangulated with international and Kiribati studies.  Among the participant-couples, vasectomy decision-making seemed equitable, consistent with other household decision-making. Notably, the wives were actively involved in their husbands’ decision to be vasectomised. Husbands were often prompted by egalitarian concerns. However, vasectomised men are in the minority and challenge gender normative behaviour. Family planning was widely viewed as women’s responsibility.  Most participants felt vasectomy created new opportunities that empowered women. Yet, some participants knew of men who used their vasectomies to control their wives’ sexual and reproductive agency, and to enable extramarital relationships. Although vasectomy freed women from contraceptive responsibility, significant shifts in the gender division of labour did not follow, but exceptions existed.  This research shows that gender equity is likely to be a pre-condition of vasectomy, and that vasectomy can lead to equitable outcomes. Moreover, gender relations within and among couples were multifaceted and contradictions existed. My research makes a strong case for why heterosexual men should be central to gender and development.</p>

scholarly journals Unveiling Women’s Roles and Inclusion in Mexican Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF)

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neyra Solano ◽  
Ines Lopez-Ercilla ◽  
Francisco J. Fernandez-Rivera Melo ◽  
Jorge Torre
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Gulf Of California ◽  
Spiny Lobster ◽  
Gender Disparity ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Mexican Pacific ◽  
Small Scale Fisheries ◽  
Participation Of Women ◽  
Post Production

The contributions of women to fisheries are often invisible, ignored, and unrecognized even though they represent 47% of the global fisheries workforce, especially in pre- and post-production activities. Poor data systems lead to incorrect assumptions about the gender division of labor in fisheries. This causes the role of women in fisheries to be overlooked. To evaluate the contribution of women in the value chain, a participatory methodology was implemented in three small-scale, fisheries in Mexico: California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus) fishery from the northern Mexican Pacific, penshell (Atrina maura) fishery from the Gulf of California, and Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) fishery from the Mesoamerican Reef region. This study shows an unequal inclusion of men and women as members of the fishing cooperatives where only 4%, 5%, and 20% are women in spiny lobster, red lobster, and penshell, respectively, and in the distribution of direct jobs (1 out of 6.7 jobs was held by a woman). These results indicate limited opportunities for women to access leadership positions. However, the participation percentages increased dramatically when we considered the fishery system (i.e., both direct and indirect jobs), with women accounting for 43%, 21%, and 37% of the California spiny lobster, penshell, and Caribbean spiny lobster fishery workforce, respectively. Women represented 39% of the workforce in pre-production activities, 2% in production, 29% in post-production, and 56% in complementary to production. Women tended to participate in two or more activities at the same time, generally combining work, household, and community activities. The participation of women in fisheries could be equivalent to a second working day, and even when this effort is present in similarly in three fisheries, their contribution is yet to be acknowledged in order to incorporate women in decision-making. The analysis of the value chain and the fishery system provided a more realistic picture of the contribution of women to fisheries than an analysis focused solely on extraction. This work further analyzed the importance and degree of participation of women in fishing cooperatives and the decision-making process. Strategies to reduce gender disparity are needed to encourage inclusion of women in fisheries decision-making.

scholarly journals From ‘women’s business’ to ‘men’s business’: Exploring connections between vasectomy acceptance and equitable gender relations in South Tarawa, Kiribati

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Alex Hill
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Gender Relations ◽  
Division Of Labour ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Household Decision ◽  
Engaging Men ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Equitable Outcomes

<p>Engaging men in sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) has implications for gender equality and sustainable development. Promoting vasectomy can foster more equitable gender relations between partners, but research on this topic is extremely limited. My research shows that, in Kiribati, vasectomy uptake is both a cause and a consequence of gender equitable relationships, but connections are complex. Vasectomy uptake can also result from, and lead to, inequitable behaviours.  Links between vasectomy uptake and gender relations among couples in South Tarawa, Kiribati were explored using a qualitative case study informed by feminist theory and principles from indigenous methodologies. Semi-structured informal interviews were held with five vasectomised I-Kiribati men and their wives, interviewed as a couple and individually. Comparative analysis was undertaken with two same-sex focus group discussions, one with non-vasectomised men and the other with their wives; and with six key informant interviews. Information generated was analysed thematically and further triangulated with international and Kiribati studies.  Among the participant-couples, vasectomy decision-making seemed equitable, consistent with other household decision-making. Notably, the wives were actively involved in their husbands’ decision to be vasectomised. Husbands were often prompted by egalitarian concerns. However, vasectomised men are in the minority and challenge gender normative behaviour. Family planning was widely viewed as women’s responsibility.  Most participants felt vasectomy created new opportunities that empowered women. Yet, some participants knew of men who used their vasectomies to control their wives’ sexual and reproductive agency, and to enable extramarital relationships. Although vasectomy freed women from contraceptive responsibility, significant shifts in the gender division of labour did not follow, but exceptions existed.  This research shows that gender equity is likely to be a pre-condition of vasectomy, and that vasectomy can lead to equitable outcomes. Moreover, gender relations within and among couples were multifaceted and contradictions existed. My research makes a strong case for why heterosexual men should be central to gender and development.</p>

Measuring Poverty

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Pogge ◽  
Scott Wisor
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equity ◽  
Quantitative Evaluation ◽  
Public Reason ◽  
Participatory Approach ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Significant Advance ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Deprivation Measure

This chapter documents a participatory approach to developing a new, gender-sensitive measure of deprivation that improves upon existing measures of poverty and gender equity. Over three years, across 18 sites in Angola, Fiji, Indonesia, Malawi, Mozambique, and the Philippines, men and women in poor communities engaged in a range of qualitative discussions and quantitative evaluation exercises to help develop the Individual Deprivation Measure. The IDM tracks deprivation in 15 dimensions, uses interval scales within dimensions, and can easily be administered in most impoverished areas. It represents a significant advance in multidimensional measurement by focusing on individuals rather than households, by covering all important dimensions of poverty, by being gender-sensitive in the selection and coding of dimensions, and by being appropriately sensitive to the depth of deprivation. The IDM demonstrates the possibility of establishing objective tools of social valuation through a process of public reason.

scholarly journals Public Policies for Agricultural Diversification: Implications for Gender Equity

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivian Valencia ◽  
Hannah Wittman ◽  
Andrew D. Jones ◽  
Jennifer Blesh
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Social Movements ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Women's Empowerment ◽  
Policy Instrument ◽  
Women’S Empowerment ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Women's Participation ◽  
Food Procurement

Gender equity is recognized as central to sustainable development, but women still face significant constraints in accessing and controlling productive resources important for agricultural livelihoods. Identifying mechanisms (e.g., policies and interventions) in agriculture that enhance women's empowerment—a critical aspect of gender equity—is of paramount importance for sustainable development. In this study, we investigate how Brazil's flagship targeted public food procurement program, the National School Feeding Program (PNAE), influences women's empowerment in southern Brazil. We conducted household surveys on farm characteristics and practices, women's empowerment (e.g., participation in farm decision-making and control over income), and women's participation in social movements, with farmers (n = 75) who do and do not participate in the PNAE. We found that women were more empowered in households participating in the PNAE, and that this empowerment was associated with diversified farming systems. When women had greater levels of participation in farm management decisions, agrobiodiversity and use of agroecological practices were higher. We also show that women's participation in agroecological social movements was associated with significantly higher empowerment (both in control over income and greater participation in decision-making). This study identifies targeted public food procurement as a promising policy instrument with potential to link cross-sectoral Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to sustainably increase food production (SDG 2), provide economic opportunities for small-scale farmers (SDG 1), and create an economic space that women in agriculture can more easily access (SDG 5).

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document