Sociology

Women, non-governmental organizations, and deforestation: A cross-national study

Document Type

Article

Abstract

There have been several cross-national studies published in the world polity theoretical tradition that find a strong correlation between nations with high levels of environmental nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and low levels of various forms of environmental degradation. However, these studies neglect the role that women's NGOs potentially play in this process. We seek to address this gap by conducting a cross-national study of the association between women's NGOs and deforestation. We examine this relationship because deforestation often translates into increased household labor, loss of income, and impaired health for women and, as a result, women's non-governmental organizations have become increasingly involved in dealing with these problems often by protecting forests. We use data from a sample of 61 nations for the period of 1990-2005. We find substantial support for world polity theory that both high levels of women's and environmental NGOs per capita are associated with lower rates of deforestation. We also find that high levels of debt service and structural adjustment are correlated with higher rates of forest loss. We conclude with a discussion of findings, policy implications, and possible future research directions. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2008.

Publication Title

Population and Environment

Publication Date

11-12-2008

Volume

30

Issue

1-2

First Page

48

Last Page

72

ISSN

0199-0039

DOI

10.1007/s11111-008-0073-x

Keywords

cross-national, deforestation, non-governmental organizations, women

Share

COinS