MAXIMIZING CONSERVATION IN PROTECTED AREAS Guidelines for Gender Consideration

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1 MAXIMIZING CONSERVATION IN PROTECTED AREAS Guidelines for Gender Consideration Introduction Protected areas (PA) are specific and unique natural habitats, where human encroachment is restricted in order to preserve biodiversity for present and future generations. In many protected areas around the world, however, people with legitimate or historical land ownership live within the established boundaries. 1 Women s and men s relationships with the environment in the protected areas and their buffer zones, in the context of their respective gender roles, are crucial for the very survival of these natural habitats. While most conservation initiatives have focused on technical aspects of biodiversity, the adoption of a gender-equitable approach to conservation has also proven to be effective. This brief provides information on how a gender-equitable perspective benefits conservation initiatives in protected areas. Box 1: Stakeholders in Protected Areas: Biodiversity, Diversity, and Gender In the protected areas, women undertake such activities as gathering wildlife for food and fodder, maintaining home gardens, fishing the estuaries, and walking long distances to fetch water, while men s activities tend to include such things as hunting in the forests and fishing off shore. Conservationists may see all of these activities as direct threats to conservation. Yet, to be successful, program planners must acknowledge that protected areas also have a human face, which is affected by, among other things, gender roles. Women and men have very different approaches to managing the environment; addressing these concrete differences will make people s relationship with the environment more sustainable. Gender equity should be viewed as a cornerstone to achieving sustainable development. Gender relates to the different social attributes and opportunities associated with being male or female and the socio-cultural relationships between men and women (see box 1). 2 People internalize these attributes, opportunities, and relationships through a socialization process. Thus, an environmental gender perspective entails focusing on women s and men s social roles, and their relationship with each other and with natural resources. Men and women may have different approaches to environmental management, but their approaches are not necessarily contradictory. Gender is also encompassed within a broader scope, which includes the socio-cultural context and takes into account class, race, ethnic group, economic status, and age (see box 2). The word gender is not synonymous with the word women. Gender refers to how societies define different roles, rights and responsibilities for women and men. These roles, rights, and responsibilities are variable across countries and may change over time. A key aspect of gender is that it defines the social relations and power balance between the sexes. 1. J.A. McNeely, Protected Areas for the Twenty-First Century: Working to Provide Benefits to Society. Parks and Protected Areas, Unasylva, no. 176 (1994)1: 1-7; and Rodolfo Burkart, Use and Management of Natural Resources in Argentina s Protected Areas, Unasylva, no. 176 (1994). 2. The World Conservation Union Union (IUCN), Gender Policy, 1998.

2 Box 2: Conflicts between community interests and conservation interventions in protected areas are common but not inevitable. Research shows that access to education and training can reduce such conflicts. A gender-equitable perspective additionally asks if both women and men are in a position to participate actively. The poor, who are often women, need education to develop their capacity to manage the environmental resources of protected areas in ways that are sustainable for them and for the environment. To invest in the environment is to invest in people. Source: Gender Matters (video) (IUCN, 2003). Several principles are key to promoting gender equality, equity, and sustainable work in protected areas 3 : Gender is not an add-on item in a long list of tasks. It is a concept that permeates all aspects of life. A gender-equitable perspective does not limit men s participation; on the contrary, it allows for better and more balanced work between men and women, which will in turn lead to improved conservation outcomes. 4 Gender analysis is a useful tool for conservation because it breaks down stereotypes, reveals roles that are often overlooked, helps ensure the representation of diversity in environmental management, and identifies local organizations that support communities. 5 Gender equity is not guaranteed simply through women s participation in a given program or activity. Women and men must be involved from the beginning in the definition of project objectives and the design of activities, so that conservation and sustainable development of protected areas meet the needs and priorities of both sexes. 6 The gender perspective, based on social equity, contributes to achieving balance among the various interests of individuals, groups, and communities, and the conservation objectives of the protected areas. Hence, changes related to governance and management issues, including local and national legal procedures, regulations and public policies, can be promoted in protected areas to make them more efficient and fair. 3. Lorena Aguilar, et al., In Search of the Lost Gender: Equity in Protected Areas (San José, Costa Rica: IUCN, 2002: 5). 4. The World Conservation Union Union (IUCN), Gender Matters (video), Mary H. Rojas, Working with Community-Based Conservation With a Gender Focus: A Guide (Washington, DC: WIDTECH, 1999). 6. Aguilar et al.: 43.

3 Box 3: Gender in Natural Resource Management and Conservation Gender, as an important part of conservation initiatives, should be included right from the beginning of any project that aims to support and enhance conservation in protected areas. If gender equity is taken into account as objectives, appraisals, activities, budget allocation, and monitoring and evaluation activities are developed and carried out, the contributions of both women and men will enhance and reinforce the conservation goals. As a starting point, all planning and evaluation data need to be disaggregated by sex. Activities carried out using a gender perspective are comprehensive and differ from other approaches that only focus on productive outcomes, supported mainly by quantitative data and reviewed by external specialists. An understanding of gender equity is essential when analyzing the different roles, responsibilities, levels of performance, and participation in decisionmaking for those living and interacting within and near protected areas. The differences in activities and management styles between men and women must be recognized. Park managers, rangers, and other people involved at various stages in the management of protected areas need guidelines or tools for participatory appraisal, from a gender-equitable perspective. 7 IUCN has developed gender appraisal tools. 8 To help communities and park staff work toward the same goal-involving women and men-these tools use a series of steps, including analysis of: Inclusion of a gender-equitable perspective in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of conservation initiatives will have a positive impact on the social fabric of communities living in protected areas. This, in turn, will enhance conservation outcomes. Box 4: Staff at the Jaú National Park, in Brazil, carried out a gender appraisal in Several questions specific to the region were incorporated into the standard appraisal. One question addressed to women, When was the last time you cooked...?, yielded a wealth of information about game and fish consumption. This question was followed by a list of possible animals or aquatic products. Since women are responsible for food preparation and distribution, the data provided by women about consumption, variety, and frequency by season are far more complex and thorough than the information provided by men. In addition, some men, as hunters or fishermen, were reluctant to answer the questions for fear of retaliation The local context (context analysis); 2. Work division by sex; 3. Use, access, and control of resources, and equitable distribution of costs and benefits; 4. Environmental degradation and impact by sex; 5. Cultural or traditional notions, and 6. Levels of social participation. 7. Lorena Aguilar, In Search of the Lost Gender, Equity in Protected Areas. IUCN, Gender and Environment, accessed online, July 30, Regina Oliveira, and E. Anderson, Género, Conservación y Participación Comunitaria: El Caso del Parque Nacional Jaú, MERGE, 1992; and L.Aguilar, 2002: 66.

4 Finally, conservation work must be evaluated using a gender perspective and gender- sensitive indicators. Understanding these indicators can help key personnel involved in the management of protected areas to achieve better results. Indicators should cover all aspects of protected areas including: administration, politics and legal aspects (sets of laws and regulations), planning stages, knowledge (development and promotion), and management. Some examples of gender-sensitive indicators by category are detailed below. Examples of Gender-Sensitive Indicators in Protected Areas by Categories ADMINISTRATIVE Personnel An affirmative action plan is in effect and it has a clear impact in the promotion of gender equity. The personnel of the protected areas (administrative and technical) have undergone considerable training or guidance on gender issues (more than four specific events). Both women and men are employed at administrative and technical levels. Financial The protected area has enough financial resources (about 20% of total budget) to carry out gender-related work throughout the different areas and/or project components. POLITICAL Community Participation Women and men participate equitably (40%-50%) in the protected area s conservation initiative, which involves a mix of private and government agencies. The number of women s groups in protected areas has increased. The protected area conservation initiative has achieved an equitable participation of women and men in environmental and natural resource management activities. Women and men participate equitably in consultation and management related to public policies in protected areas. Intra-institutional There is a gender-equitable strategy that is followed by all protected area staff. LEGAL Ownership Women are direct beneficiaries of land titles. Work carried out within the protected area has successfully promoted female ownership and co-ownership of business enterprises (Ecotourism, etc.) KNOWLEDGE Development and Promotion Women and men participate equitably in technical-productive activities and other training aspects of protected areas. There is a training program promoting equitable participation of women and men in non-traditional activities. Women and men participate equitably in community information assistance programs on natural resource management. Management (Co-management) The management plan includes a strategy to allow men and women equitably to manage their communities natural resources. There is an equitable distribution of costs and benefits. ACCESS, USE AND CONTROL OF RESOURCES Women benefit equitably from concessions granted to exploit natural resources. Women benefit equitably from compensation for the use of environmental services. Women have equitable participation in the decision-making process concerning conservation and development activities. Source: L. Aguilar, et al., In Search of the Lost Gender (2002):

5 Gender Matters The Fifth World Parks Congress will take place September 8-17 in Durban, South Africa. It offers an unprecedented opportunity to bring the issue of gender equity to the attention of the international community. The Congress theme Benefits Beyond Boundaries sets the stage for developing gender guidelines for the next millennium through which the unique environments of protected areas can be sustained. Gender Matters because: Gender equity is an essential principle to ensure sustainability, fair management, and successful conservation efforts in protected areas. Using a gender-equitable perspective, it is possible to create a global and integral vision of how women and men can have complementary relationships with their environment. A gender perspective helps analyze how knowledge on conservation and exploitation patterns is constructed, and how various stakeholders carried out resource management within the protected area. From a conservation perspective, projects that have applied gender equity and promoted affirmative action plans to include women s contributions in protected areas have been more effective and balanced. More importantly, they have strengthened the social fabric of communities and, consequently, have supported the environmental goals. Adopting a gender perspective implies going beyond the recognition of differences. It also implies working to enhance an equitable relationship for men and women within the protected areas and their buffer zones. Gender equity is a human rights issue and a precondition for sustainable development in protected areas. Adopting a gender-equitable perspective in the sustainable resource management of the protected areas will help to: Make clear that communities are not homogeneous and, thus, lead to a diversity of stakeholders who will be better able to promote equitable conservation management. Make visible the roles that men and women play regarding use, exploitation, management, and administration of protected areas natural resources. Emphasize that both sexes have different needs, interests, knowledge, and behavior that shape conservation initiatives. This is an important aspect to consider when designing projects, conducting appraisals, allocating budgets, and analyzing sensitive indicators to evaluate project performance. Promote new initiatives for natural resource management that include women s participation, for example, by allowing them to perform as an integral part of the development effort, instead of neglecting or excluding them from extension work, managerial roles, and decisionmaking.

6 Promote women s roles that avoid patterns of subordination, exclusion and discrimination, thereby, influencing change and understanding for younger generations. In time, this will lead to new socialization patterns of more equitable relationships for men and women. In the search for strategies to conserve and sustain protected areas, each of us has a role to play. 10 Once communities and institutions are aware of women s and men s differential needs and assets, we will be able to work together in a fair, balanced, and sustainable way. Using a gender-equitable approach is key to the survival of protected areas worldwide. Acknowledgments Patricia Biermayr-Jenzano prepared this policy brief with assistance from PRB staff and other colleagues. Thanks are due to Nancy Yinger, Roger- Mark De Souza, and Charlotte Feldman-Jacobs, Barbara Torrey of PRB; Lorena Aguilar, The World Conservation Union Union (IUCN); and Constance Campbell, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), all of whom provided useful comments and reviewed drafts. 10. Lorena Aguilar, The Unavoidable Current, Gender Policies for the Environmental Sector in Mesoamerica (Costa Rica: The World Conservation Union Union (IUCN), 2000). Senior Gender Advisor P. O. Box Moravia, Costa Rica. Tel.: (506) Fax: (506) lorena.aguilar@iucn.org www. POPULATION REFERENCE BUREAU 1875 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 520, Washington, DC USA Tel.: (202) Fax: (202) popref@prb.org - PHE@prb.org - Web site: