| Abstrakt: |
AbstractSoil and water conservation measures change the state of natural resources, especially of water, soil and vegetation. These, in turn, have very different consequences for women and men. Planners of such programs influence the position of women with their ’gender ideology’ via assumptions which determine the structure and content of programs. Even purportedly friendly efforts on the part of these planners can increase pressure on farm women if they go about their projects without understanding the mechanisms underlying gender relations, the use of natural resources and the position of women.This was revealed in a study of integrated watershed management projects (WSMP) undertaken in a few villages at the foothills of the Shiwaliks in northern India. Once the program was implemented, the rural women were found to spend much more time in activities related to agriculture and animal husbandry, while they spent less time grazing their cattle, collecting fuelwood and bringing water. The values of the gender-related development index (GDI) were consequently higher in project villages. But when placed in perspective against the human development index (HDI), gender inequalities were found to be equally pronounced in both project and non-project villages, revealing an anti-female bias, thus emphasizing the need for planners and policy makers to understand the issues which directly or indirectly affect women’s participation in natural resource management programs. |
