Sustainability and Social Justice

Sustainable Investments: Women's Contributions to Natural Resource Management Projects in Africa

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Can prospects for improving livelihood security and building sustainable environments in Africa be increased if women have greater influence in decisions about how to manage resources? Anecdotal evidence suggests that this question should be answered in the affirmative, yet few development agencies perform systematic evaluations with gender disaggregated data despite nearly two decades of development literature describing the pitfalls of failing to do so. This paper explores this question through analysis of cases from Kenya, Nigeria, Malawi, The Gambia, and Rwanda gleaned from a literature search of more than 50 natural resource management projects across Africa. It highlights enabling conditions which facilitate effective involvement of both men and women in natural resource management, and develops indicators to clarify progress in terms of impact, process, and sustainability.

Publication Title

Development in Practice

Publication Date

1-1-2001

Volume

11

Issue

1

First Page

45

Last Page

61

ISSN

0961-4524

DOI

10.1080/109614520020019948

Keywords

sustainable agriculture, natural resource management, ecological sustainability, sustainable development, women, environmental policy, men, environmental management, agricultural land, sustainable management

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS