The type and extent of forest tenure reforms in South Asia vary across countries. Yet, all reforms share common objectives of addressing greater equity, realizing communities’ rights, improving livelihoods and promoting conservation. Some other noted commonalities include the state retaining majority ownership of forests while still increasing community tenure and rights, and the emergence of multiple stakeholders to defend, promote and expand community interests. This publication aims to demonstrate the strong connection between gender-sensitive forest tenure reforms and improved livelihood indicators, forest conservation, and overall gender equity in South Asia, drawing on Nepal’s Community Forestry framework as a case study. Nepal’s diversity of customary and statutory forest tenure arrangements, pioneering experience in decentralized forest governance, and consolidated advances in grassroots civic networks with substantive women’s participation give ample opportunity to explore implications for gender equity in a wide range of forest tenure arrangements and practices.

Type of Case
Printed publication (book, sourcebook, journal article…)

Region
Asia Pacific

Biome
All

Forest Type
All forest types (natural and planted)

Primary Designated Function
All