For more Information, please consult the following PDF Documents:

fern_communityforestry_abstract.pdf

we have the pleasure of informing you that today Fern has released “La foresterie communautaire : Opportunité ou chimère pour les femmes du Bassin du Congo ?” (Community forestry: Opportunity or mirage for women in the Congo Basin?) a new briefing which considers the extent to which community forestry in Central Africa, particularly in CAR and Congo, can benefit women, taking into account the regional, local institutional, legal and cultural context.

In the Congo Basin, women play an important role in forest management by either practicing traditional agroforestry or collecting fuelwood and non-timber forest products for food, livestock, and health care or income generation. As women are involved in forest management, they must also be recognised as key players in community forest initiatives and encouraged to contribute.

Overall, the note identifies several obstacles to women’s effective engagement in community forestry and their ability to fully exercising their rights to use and control forests and forest resources. These include:

• Lack of national legislation promoting women’s rights
• Lack of guidance regarding gender mainstreaming in national forest policies and institutions and mechanisms to promote women’s participation.
• Failure to consider the differentiated needs and interests of men and women in forest policies.
• A legal framework that does not promote rural women’s access to property rights and opposes statutory and customary law. 

The executive summary of the note is also available in English.

For more Information, please consult the following PDF Documents: