Women's role in the management of natural resources and the development of aid policy in emergent countries: a bibliographical study
Gambetta, I.
Schweizerische Zeitschrift fur Forstwesen 150(2): 31-40
1999
Document Number: 277743
In rural zones of developing countries, women play a capital role in the process of earning the family's living - mainly by guaranteeing food. In order to meet the family's needs, they use the natural resources available, especially wood for fires, foodstuffs, medical supplies, fodder, etc. However, because of their daily tasks, women are much more dependent on the environment than men. The degradation of ecological and socio-economic environmental conditions aggravates the already sufficiently difficult situation of the women in the south, which mainly results in an overstraining of the female work and intensified poverty. A brief survey on aid policy makes clear that women have often been neglected or have not had their value properly taken into consideration. Their participation in different projects of natural resources' management is indispensable. However, women still have to overcome many obstacles before they will benefit from the positive effects aimed at by the projects. The recommendations are aimed at achieving the projects' success by integrating female participation.