Examining Nepalese forestry governance from gender perspectives
- Wagle, Radha, Pillay, Soma, Wright, Wendy
- Authors: Wagle, Radha , Pillay, Soma , Wright, Wendy
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Public Administration Vol. 40, no. 3 (2017), p. 205-225
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: This article examines Nepalese forestry governance from gender perspectives. We argue that gendered institutional norms and values are associated with forest-governing institutions, such as forest bureaucracies, shaping the nature, and extent of women’s involvement in decision-making processes in the Nepalese forest bureaucracy. Studies on Nepalese forestry reveal that substantial progress has been made in forming policies and initiating activities for including women in forestry governance of Nepal; however despite this, gendered dynamics create difficulties for women to enter and progress in the forestry profession, thereby creating gendered employment territories through institutional, legislative, normative, and infrastructural measures. © 2017 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Feminist institutionalism and gendered bureaucracies : forestry governance in Nepal
- Wagle, Radha, Pillay, Soma, Wright, Wendy
- Authors: Wagle, Radha , Pillay, Soma , Wright, Wendy
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Book
- Relation: Feminist Institutionalism and Gendered Bureaucracies: Forestry Governance in Nepal
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: This book examines the processes for the inclusion of women, and the role of women employees in Nepal’s forestry bureaucracy. The book adopts a “gender lens” drawn from feminist institutionalism and is framed around the following four objectives: evaluating the effectiveness of current legislative and policy frameworks for the inclusion of women in the Nepalese forest bureaucracy; examining the dynamics of organizational culture, formal and informal institutions, and structure and agency in and around forest bureaucracy in Nepal; assessing power relations in forestry institutions focusing on influential participation of women forestry professionals in the bureaucratic structure; and gaining insights about the alternative space of feminist institutionalism in connection with women inclusive forest bureaucracy. Findings in the book inform and extend feminist institutionalism perspectives by applying it to a context which remains under explored, providing insights on the efficacy of public sector cultural change, especially as it relates to those areas within bureaucracies less in a position to adopt the changes mandated by society and principles of good governance. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020.
Shifting paradigms for Nepal’s protected areas : History, challenges and relationships
- Bhattarai, Babu, Wright, Wendy, Poudel, Buddi, Aryal, Achyut, Yadav, Bhupendra, Wagle, Radha
- Authors: Bhattarai, Babu , Wright, Wendy , Poudel, Buddi , Aryal, Achyut , Yadav, Bhupendra , Wagle, Radha
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Mountain Science Vol. 14, no. 5 (2017), p. 964-979
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: The modern history of protected area (PA) management in Nepal dates back to 1973 when the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act (1973) was promulgated and Chitwan National Park was established. In the years immediately following these key events, protected area acts and regulations were strictly applied and the role of local people in managing natural resources was neglected. However with the passage of time, and with changes in the socio-political and economic characteristics of Nepal, management regimes have shifted towards a more liberal model which recognizes more clearly the contributions of people living and working within protected areas. Recently, landscape level conservation models including the designation of multiple use areas have been utilized in the development of management plans for protected areas in Nepal. Conservation agencies have attempted to tackle challenges such as land use conflict, poaching and smuggling of wildlife parts and illegal harvesting of highly valued medicinal herbs through regulation, but these efforts are not always successful. We recommend a holistic conflict resolution approach which recognizes and resolves the different needs of all stakeholders. © 2017, Science Press, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, CAS and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
The inclusion of women in Nepalese forestry governance : Perspectives from feminist institutionalism
- Wagle, Radha, Pillay, Soma, Wright, Wendy
- Authors: Wagle, Radha , Pillay, Soma , Wright, Wendy
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Managing for Peak Performance, 29th Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management Conference (ANZAM 2015); Queenstown, New Zealand; 2nd-4th December 2015 p. 1-16
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: There is a large body of literature which acknowledges that women play vital roles in protecting and managing forest resources around the world (Agarwal, 2010b; Colfer, 2013; FAO, 2006, 2007; Mai, Mwangi, & Wan, 2011; Sewell Jr, 1992). Despite their contributions to forest management, women are still largely excluded from decision making roles in forestry organizations, especially in developing countries (FAO, 2007). As a result, most of the forestry related decisions are made by males, resulting in the marginalisation of women’s interests in forest management and minimizing the potential contributions of women (ABS, 2013; Christie & Giri, 2011; Lidestav, 2010). The history of forest management in Nepal typifies this gender bias in forestry governance (Christie & Giri, 2011; Giri & Faculty, 2008). While men are actively involved in decision making processes within formal environmental organizations and institutions, women are more likely to be involved at informal and grass root levels, including as an unpaid labour force (Agarwal, 2010b). Before the introduction of community based forestry programs, the Nepalese Ministry of Forests and its subsidiaries (referred to here as the forest bureaucracy) was the major organization responsible for governing the forestry sector. After the introduction and advancement of community based forest management programs, and the entry of civil society, donor and other private sector organizations, the scope and nature of forestry governance has been extended in Nepal. Although, this shift in paradigm opened space for the entry of women into different forestry institutions, the under representation of women in forest bureaucracy (still a major part of forestry governance) still continues. Nepalese rural women have low literacy rates and little involvement in public spheres. As a result there is limited access, for women working at the grassroots level, to national level policy making, planning and implementation. It is usually assumed that professional women bring women’s issues and interests into forestry policy and programmes on behalf of grassroots level women. This representation is not always effective (Giri and Faculty, 2008, Agarwal, 2010b). Government forestry institutions represent the country in participating in different national and international forestry agendas including climate change. If ‘grassroots’ women’s agendas are excluded from decision making processes in regard to environment related agendas, the solutions proposed for environmental problems may be ineffective or only partially effective (WOCAN, 2012). This paper examines the existing legislative measures and institutional practices that facilitate or constrain the role of women in Nepalese forestry institutions. This study also investigates how the gendered institutional norms and values associated with forest-governing institutions, such as forest bureaucracies, shape the nature and extent of women’s involvement in decision making processes in the Nepalese forest bureaucracy. We use Feminist Institutionalism (FI) to examine the effect of the gendered nature of forestry institutions, policies and practices that shape the role of women in forest bureaucracy. We extend New Institutionalism (NI) by incorporating feminist perspectives to forestry governance. In exploring why the gender mainstreaming of legislative measures and practices has not been wholly effective, it is important to examine the informal norms and values within an institution. These act to shape both the behaviour of the individual and political outcomes. Since forestry is highly gendered sector based on different social norms and values, NI is considered a good approach to study those institutions. New Institutionalism is a cutting theme which crosses various disciplines, and holds the interest of historians, sociologists, economists, political scientists and social theorists (Goodin, 1996). New Institutionalism was constructed as a progressive version of older, descriptive approaches to institutionalism in order to understand the role of formal and informal rules which affect the political behaviour of individuals (Gherardi, 1996). This paper examines opportunities and challenges involved in: a) promoting women’s participation in forest governance; and b) establishing an influential role for women in forestry governance. To date, researchers using the approach of institutionalism have not adequately considered the gender perspective, especially within the context of developing countries (Tripp, 2007). This study will therefore extend NI further through theoretical and practical insights, relating gendered issues to NI and particularly its sub-branch, FI.
The inclusion of women in Nepalese forestry governance : Perspectives from feminist institutionalism
- Authors: Wagle, Radha , Pillay, Soma , Wright, Wendy
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Managing for Peak Performance, 29th Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management Conference (ANZAM 2015); Queenstown, New Zealand; 2nd-4th December 2015 p. 1-16
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: There is a large body of literature which acknowledges that women play vital roles in protecting and managing forest resources around the world (Agarwal, 2010b; Colfer, 2013; FAO, 2006, 2007; Mai, Mwangi, & Wan, 2011; Sewell Jr, 1992). Despite their contributions to forest management, women are still largely excluded from decision making roles in forestry organizations, especially in developing countries (FAO, 2007). As a result, most of the forestry related decisions are made by males, resulting in the marginalisation of women’s interests in forest management and minimizing the potential contributions of women (ABS, 2013; Christie & Giri, 2011; Lidestav, 2010). The history of forest management in Nepal typifies this gender bias in forestry governance (Christie & Giri, 2011; Giri & Faculty, 2008). While men are actively involved in decision making processes within formal environmental organizations and institutions, women are more likely to be involved at informal and grass root levels, including as an unpaid labour force (Agarwal, 2010b). Before the introduction of community based forestry programs, the Nepalese Ministry of Forests and its subsidiaries (referred to here as the forest bureaucracy) was the major organization responsible for governing the forestry sector. After the introduction and advancement of community based forest management programs, and the entry of civil society, donor and other private sector organizations, the scope and nature of forestry governance has been extended in Nepal. Although, this shift in paradigm opened space for the entry of women into different forestry institutions, the under representation of women in forest bureaucracy (still a major part of forestry governance) still continues. Nepalese rural women have low literacy rates and little involvement in public spheres. As a result there is limited access, for women working at the grassroots level, to national level policy making, planning and implementation. It is usually assumed that professional women bring women’s issues and interests into forestry policy and programmes on behalf of grassroots level women. This representation is not always effective (Giri and Faculty, 2008, Agarwal, 2010b). Government forestry institutions represent the country in participating in different national and international forestry agendas including climate change. If ‘grassroots’ women’s agendas are excluded from decision making processes in regard to environment related agendas, the solutions proposed for environmental problems may be ineffective or only partially effective (WOCAN, 2012). This paper examines the existing legislative measures and institutional practices that facilitate or constrain the role of women in Nepalese forestry institutions. This study also investigates how the gendered institutional norms and values associated with forest-governing institutions, such as forest bureaucracies, shape the nature and extent of women’s involvement in decision making processes in the Nepalese forest bureaucracy. We use Feminist Institutionalism (FI) to examine the effect of the gendered nature of forestry institutions, policies and practices that shape the role of women in forest bureaucracy. We extend New Institutionalism (NI) by incorporating feminist perspectives to forestry governance. In exploring why the gender mainstreaming of legislative measures and practices has not been wholly effective, it is important to examine the informal norms and values within an institution. These act to shape both the behaviour of the individual and political outcomes. Since forestry is highly gendered sector based on different social norms and values, NI is considered a good approach to study those institutions. New Institutionalism is a cutting theme which crosses various disciplines, and holds the interest of historians, sociologists, economists, political scientists and social theorists (Goodin, 1996). New Institutionalism was constructed as a progressive version of older, descriptive approaches to institutionalism in order to understand the role of formal and informal rules which affect the political behaviour of individuals (Gherardi, 1996). This paper examines opportunities and challenges involved in: a) promoting women’s participation in forest governance; and b) establishing an influential role for women in forestry governance. To date, researchers using the approach of institutionalism have not adequately considered the gender perspective, especially within the context of developing countries (Tripp, 2007). This study will therefore extend NI further through theoretical and practical insights, relating gendered issues to NI and particularly its sub-branch, FI.
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