Gender and ecological restoration: time to connect the dots

Abstract

Although the human dimension of ecological restoration has increasingly been recognized in recent years, the gender dimension thereof remains largely unexplored. This article aims to fill this gap in the literature by providing an overview of the current knowledge on gender and ecological restoration. Our analysis of selected academic literature on ecological restoration revealed that scholars have only marginally addressed gender issues in their publications. However, in restoration practice, various initiatives that highlight the importance of including a women's rights and gender perspective can be found. These initiatives seem to indicate that applying a gender approach to restoration practice creates a double benefit. First, integrating gender considerations into restoration efforts is desirable from a human rights and gender equality perspective. Second, different case studies suggest that integrating gender considerations can promote the efficiency and effectiveness of restoration work. Integrating a social and gender dimension into restoration policy and practice should therefore be recommended. This integration process can learn from a wide range of literature on gender and the environment, and from existing practices of gender mainstreaming in this field. Furthermore, international law provides useful policy intentions on gender and restoration that could be used as entry points. To conclude, this article summarizes the main challenges for connecting the dots between gender and ecological restoration and formulates some recommendations for the Society for Ecological Restoration

Resident and user support for urban natural areas restoration practices

“…This finding is generally supported in the literature on environmental concern, particularly with respect to issues like herbicide use where there are potential health and safety risks (Xiao and McCright, 2015). While some researchers have interpreted lower support by females as a function of their vulnerability to environmental degradation, the negative association of vulnerability to victimization has led others to broaden the discourse on gender with respect to environmental issues, in part reframing women as agents of change (Broeckhoven and Cliquet, 2015). Gender has also been found to be a significant predictor of support for deer control, with females more often opposed to lethal control than males (e.g., Lauber et al, 2001;Dougherty, et al, 2003).…”

“…For this practice, values and ethics have been offered as explanations for lower support among females, who expressed higher concern than males about issues such as pain and suffering of the animal (Lauber et al, 2001) and had a more nuanced moral reasoning in considering the acceptability of techniques to manage deer populations (Dougherty et al, 2003). Broeckhoven and Cliquet (2015) argue for greater inclusion of a gender dimension into restoration policy and practice, and though the focus of their perspective is on women who are directly engaged in carrying out restoration projects, their ideas also apply to the broader group of female stakeholders such as residents and users that indirectly influence and are influenced by restoration. Managers should not assume that all restoration practices are gender neutral and should recognize that some practices may have disproportionate impacts on the values and ethical systems of female stakeholders.…”

Inclusive Management Through Gender Consideration in Small-Scale Fisheries: The Why and the How

“…Evidence presented by Agarwal from forests in India and Nepal is positively convincing (Agarwal, 2010), but other studies have not found clear links between women and better environmental conditions or conservation (e.g., Nugent and Shandra, 2009). A review of ecological restoration and gender found positive evidence that integrating gender in restoration efforts giving higher efficiency and effectiveness, but as gender is generally not taken into consideration in restoration, it is difficult to draw overall conclusions (Broeckhoven and Cliquet, 2015). In development, women are often considered as agents of change and drivers of sustainable development (e.g., Braidotti et al, 1994;UNEP, 2015).…”

Exploring Gender Equity in Ecological Restoration: The Case of a Market-Based Program in Kenya

“…Gender equity refers to "fairness of treatment for women and men, according to their respective needs" (ILO 2000). As men and women share the same landscapes as the resources under restoration (Leach and Green 1997, Elmhirst 2011, Silvestri et al 2012, recognizing and accommodating for gender equity, are considered necessary towards achieving positive social outcomes from conservation and restoration initiatives (Pascual et al 2014, Broeckhoven and Cliquet 2015, Kariuki and Birner 2016, Yang et al 2018.…”