M. Elias

Gender-responsive participatory research for social learning and sustainable forest management

Abstract Participatory research on forests has been commended for fostering social learning, innovation, community empowerment, social inclusion, and leading to more sustainable resource management. Yet, critiques of participatory approaches – and of the simplistic ways they are, at times, employed to address gender and social exclusion – also abound. These call for new strategies to meaningfully engage socially differentiated men and women in research on natural resource management. This special issue focuses on the nexus between gender and participatory research in forest and woodland management. It examines: (1) the diversity of stakeholders’ forest-related knowledge, skills, needs and priorities in forest-dependent communities through the use of gender-responsive participatory approaches, and (2) choices in research design that can foster inclusive participation, knowledge sharing and social learning within and among social groups. In this introductory paper, we position the special issue in relation to critiques regarding the lack of attention to gender in participatory research. We then summarize the authors empirical findings, contextually rooted across four African and Asian countries, and their importance for understanding the value, opportunities and challenges of working with participatory methods, both from the perspective of the researchers and of the research participants. The papers illustrate that traditional ecological knowledge is neither homogeneously distributed within communities nor concentrated among socially more powerful groups who, in the absence of a gender-responsive approach, are often the ones selected as research participants. The authors offer an optimistic view of the potential participatory methods hold, when applied in a gender-responsive way, for sharing knowledge and promoting inclusive social learning on forests and tree resources. Papers demonstrate the need to carefully consider when to create segregated or mixed spaces – or indeed both – for participants to create situations in which social learning within and across diverse social groups can occur.

Evaluating the usefulness and ease of use of participatory tools for forestry and livelihoods research in Sarawak, Malaysia

Abstract Sarawak, Malaysia, is home to a wide range of native fruit tree species (NFTs) that contribute to the livelihoods of rural women and men. Yet, most agricultural research in the area, and elsewhere, has focused on commercial, non-native species, and the economic potential of lesser-known NFTs has often been overlooked. What is more, little attention has focused on research for development tools that can build on the local ecological knowledge of both men and women while supporting forest-based livelihoods and biodiversity conservation. This study contributes to filling this gap by assessing the usefulness and ease of use of a set of participatory tools – Four Cell Analysis, Venn Diagrams, Participatory Value Chain Mapping and Participatory Rapid Market Appraisal – that enable villagers to engage in a gender-responsive learning process supporting livelihood initiatives around native fruit trees. Activities, which focused on mango (Mangifera spp.) and rambutan (Nephelium spp.), were conducted in two villages in Sarawak. Research was carried out within gender and age specific groups, which then came together to share and discuss their findings. Participants evaluated the tools and approach based on their usefulness to the community and their ease of use. Key findings were that women’s and men’s different yet overlapping knowledge about forest resources was well captured using the four tools. Although each tool generated useful information, the combination of tools was important for painting a fuller picture of ecological, organizational, and marketing aspects related to native fruit trees and the sequence of activities supported local learning processes. Participants found the four tools moderately easy to easy to use, and the process of working within gender and age segregated groups and bringing the groups together promoted freedom of expression within groups as well as inter-group learning.

Negotiating across difference: Gendered exclusions and cooperation in the shea value chain

Shea butter, derived from the African shea tree, has acquired a pivotal position in global agro-food and cosmetics industries. In Burkina Faso, public and private actors as well as civil society are converging upon the product to boost the incomes of rural female producers. As a result of these trends, the shea value chain is increasingly segmented; shea nuts are sold in a low-return, conventional market and simultaneously enter an alternative, high-value niche market. In the latter strand of the value chain, some producers are improving their prospects by forming an association. Tracing relationships across the two strands, we demonstrate how ‘horizontal’ relations based on gender, ethnicity, age and geography contribute to shaping participation and benefit capture in the shea value chain. We argue that processes of social inclusion and exclusion operate in parallel, as differentiated actors both cooperate and compete to secure their place within the chain. While collective organizing brings positive social and economic benefits, we show that producers’ associations need not be empowering for all women. The significance of collective enterprises, but also their drawbacks must be considered when valorising pathways to womens empowerment. Our study reinforces calls for greater integration of horizontal elements in value chain analyses.

Engaging local communities in social learning for inclusive management of native fruit trees in the Central Western Ghats, India

Abstract Participatory research and the social learning it supports are increasingly being used to improve forest management. Yet, the participation of women and other marginalized groups is often limited in these processes. This is a serious shortcoming, not only due to concerns for gender and social equity, but also because socially excluded, forest-dependent groups hold specific ecological knowledge, skills and interests that influence prospects for sustainable forest management. Carried out in India’s Central Western Ghats, this study explores the potential participatory research holds for engaging communities in a socially inclusive learning process that can support forest management. Participatory tools – resource mapping, Four Cell Analysis, seasonal fruit calendar, and seasonal activity – were used to elicit information on native fruit tree diversity, phenology, agronomy, uses and marketing. We discuss the benefits of this research set-up which promoted interactions among individuals from different groups, who came to experience a common group identity. The notion of contact zones – where different cultures or groups meet and engage with each other in ways that can reduce conflicts or redress asymmetrical power relations – guides our analysis. We demonstrate that the contact zone created through research process facilitated multi-directional information sharing and supported collective actions for forest management.

Exploring local knowledge and preferences for shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) ethnovarieties in Southwest Burkina Faso through a gender and ethnic lens

Abstract In Africa’s ‘shea belt’, the shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa) plays a central role in rural livelihoods and ecosystems. Yet, it faces many threats. The aim of this study is to examine local people’s classification systems and preferences for shea ethnovarieties in Burkina Faso to support domestication efforts that respect local priorities. Work was carried out among the Bobo, Sambla, Mosse and FulBe ethnic groups in two villages in south-west Burkina Faso. Participatory characterization and ranking matrices were used with 10 groups segregated by gender and ethnicity to understand if knowledge and preferences for shea ethnovarieties vary between gender and ethnic groups. Results show a general agreement across groups about top-cited ethnovariety names, characteristics and key criteria defining the classification system. Participants identified a total of 25 shea ethnovarieties according to 11 primary fruit and nut variants. The number of ethnovarieties cited varied slightly across groups, with greater consistency across ethnicities than across gender groups. Each ethnic and gender group identified certain ethnovarieties not cited by their ethnic or gender counterparts. Two ethnovarieties – ‘small shea fruit’ and ‘big shea fruit’ – were preferred across groups. The study highlights the value of gender-sensitive participatory research for understanding local botanical knowledge and preferences.