Women as forest users

Year level: Upper secondary Learning outcome Students will examine the impact of improvements in forest management on the lives of women. Read the case study Seeing the forests and the trees Answer these questions: How do women use the forest differently to men? Why would women be more affected than men by the loss of the forest? How has the community forestry project been or particular help to women and their families? (For example, if you no longer needed to walk six hours a day to obtain water for your family, what else could you do with the time?) Why do you think the community forestry program has targeted women to form forest user groups? How and why is the role of women restricted in Nepalese society? Review all the services and activities that have resulted from the community forestry project and develop a Positive Negative Interesting chart for each. Imagine you belong to a Forest User Group. List three priorities for future developments. Explain your three choices to others in your group and create a combined list. Discuss as a class: What sorts of things did your group take into account in making its decisions? How easy or difficult was it for group members to agree on which projects to fund? How might decisions made by men differ from those made by women? Why might women's forest user groups be created? Assessment task List five points to consider when working with women in Nepal.