Gender and Green Governance

Economists studying environmental collective action and green governance have paid little attention to gender. Research on gender and green governance in other disciplines has focused mainly on women's near absence from forestry institutions. This interdisciplinary book turns that focus on its head to ask: what if women were present in these institutions? What difference would that make? Would women's inclusion in forest governance - undeniably important for equity - also affect decisions on forest use and outcomes for conservation and subsistence? Are women's interests in forests different from men's? Would women's presence lead to better forests and more equitable access? Does it matter which class of women governs? And how large a presence of women would make an impact? Answers to these questions can prove foundational for effective environmental governance. Yet they have hardly been empirically investigated. In an analysis that is conceptually sophisticated and statistically rigorous, using primary data on community forestry institutions in India and Nepal, this book is the first major study to comprehensively address these wide-ranging issues. It traces women's history of exclusion from public institutions, the factors which constrain their effective participation, and how those constraints can be overcome. It outlines how strategic partnerships between forestry and other civil society institutions could strengthen rural women's bargaining power with community and government. And it examines the complexities of eliciting government accountability in addressing poor rural women's needs, such as for clean domestic fuel and access to the commons. Located in the interface of environmental studies, political economy and gender analysis, the volume makes significant original contributions to current debates on gender and governance, forest conservation, clean energy policy, critical mass and social inclusion. Traversing uncharted territory with rare analytical rigor, this lucidly written book will be of interest to scholars and students as well as policy makers and practitioners. "What are the factors that affect womens participation in institutions of collective deliberation? What impact does their presence in these institutions have on their outcomes?... Bina Agarwals tour de force looks at these issues in the context of womens presence in community forestry, and argues that womens presence, in the right critical mass, makes a considerable difference to outcomes.... The book is an extraordinarily rich mine of hypothesis and a model of careful testing. All those interested in how institutions of deliberation work will mine it for a long time to come."--IndianExpress"Path-breaking...a landmark contribution...[Agarwal] fills, as she also argues, two critical gaps in womens economic empowerment, one relating to command over private property and the other relating to command over public resources and institutions. ...an immense contribution not only to ecological economics but also to political science, rural sociology, and energy studies."--Economic & Political Weekly (India)"An exceptional outcome of the interdisciplinary work undertaken by the author. It cuts across a number of areas which are of growing policy relevance, such as inclusion of women, sustainability of natural forests, local institutions, rural energy, etc. The language of the book is simple and the facts are easy to understand even for a general reader. The author has been distinctively able to maintain the smooth flow of the book. ...the book will be of enormous reference for a range of users including policy-makers, researchers in the fields of environment, political economy, energy, social sciences, etc., as well as civil society groups and students."--South Asia Economic Journal"Bina Agarwal's study combines a theoretical review with detailed qualitative and quantitative data from 135 community forestry institutions (CFIs), so that regression analyses of relationships are supported with quotes providing the voices of women themselves who are involPART 1: THE POTENTIAL OF PRESENCE ; 1. Presence and Representation ; 2. Gendered Interests and the Environment ; 3. From Absence to Negotiated Presence ; PART 2: THE IMPACT OF PRESENCE ; 4. Fieldsites and Field Profile ; 5. From Exclusion to Empowered Engagement ; 6. Rules and Rulemakers ; 7. Violations and Penalties ; 8. Conservation and Regeneration ; 9. Shortages Amidst Growing Plenty ; PART 3: BEYOND PRESENCE ; 10. Connecting with Civil Society: Weaving a Web of Strategic Alliances ; 11. Engaging with Government: Extending the Web