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Biodiversity, local participation and gender Or: The introduction of a feminist political ecology Hanne Svarstad Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)

ALTER-Net, summer school, France, Sept. 10, 2008.

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Outline for the lecture:

• 1. Description of a situation
• 2. Does it matter?
• 3. A feminist political ecology as a tool for knowledge

production

• 4. Explanations: Why it is as it is
• 5. What should be done?

INTERRUPTIONS ARE RECOMMENDED!

• questions to clearify
• discussions after each of the 5 sections

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Biodiversity, local participation and gender Or: The introduction of a feminist political ecology

• 1. Description of a situation

I’ll tell you a story from field work…

From a research project on local participation in establishment of protected areas in Norway.

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• 1. Description of a situation

My immediate thought: This must be an exceptional coincidence!

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• 1. Norwegian policies and

laws require gender equality (a 40 % requirement).

My immediate thought: This must be an exceptional coincidence! Because:

• 1. Description of a situation

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• 2. Norway has a high

international profile on gender, environment and development.

• 1. Norwegian policies and

laws require gender equality (a 40 % requirement).

My immediate thought: This must be an exceptional coincidence! Because:

• 1. Description of a situation

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• 2. Norway has a high

international profile on gender, environment and development.

• 1. Norwegian policies and

laws require gender equality (a 40 % requirement).

My immediate thought: This must be an exceptional coincidence! Because:

• 1. Description of a situation

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• 2. Norway has a high

international profile on gender, environment and development.

• 1. Norwegian policies and

laws require gender equality (a 40 % requirement).

My immediate thought: This must be an exceptional coincidence! Because:

• 1. Description of a situation

Thus: Norway is perhaps the country in which there is the best reason to expect a high degree of gender equality in questions

• n conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

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The gender dimension in the two cases on local participation in establishment of protected areas in Norway

• 1. Description of a situation

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Case 1: Protection Plan for Dovrefjell – including Dovrefjell- Sunndalsfjella National Park (established 2002)

• 1. Description of a situation

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Members

• f the

Dovre Mountains Council as

• f June

2005

Political represen tatives Numbers

• f

women among political represen tatives Admi nistra tive repres entati ves Number

• f

women among administ rative represen tatives Total numb er of repres entati ves Number (and %) of women among representativ es 8 muni- cipalities

8 2 8 16 2 (12.5%)

4 counties

4 2 4 8 2 (25%)

All together 12 memb.s

12 4 12 24 4 (16.7%) Case 1: Protection Plan for Dovrefjell – including Dovrefjell- Sunndalsfjella National Park

• 1. Description of a situation

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Case 1: Protection Plan for Dovrefjell:

Numbers of local women in the reference groups

Members of reference groups Nr of local members Nr of women Dovre municipality 6 Lesja municipality 6 1 Oppdal municipality 10 Tynset municipality 5 1 Folldal municipality 6 1 Municipality members in co-operation group from the county Møre & Romsdal (Nesset, Rauma and Sunndal municipalities) 6 Total 40 3 % 100 7.5

• 1. Description of a situation

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Local women in the reference groups:

Only 7.5 %

• 1. Description of a situation

Case 1: Protection Plan for Dovrefjell:

Numbers of local women in the reference groups

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Case 2: Geiranger - Herdalen Geiranger-Herdalen Landscape Protected Area

• Established 2004
• 1. Description of a situation

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An advicory group was established to provide local participation from the two municipalities Norddal and Stranda:

• 1. Description of a situation

Case 2: Geiranger - Herdalen

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An advicory group was established to provide local participation from the two municipalities Norddal and Stranda:

Local representatives: Members: From Norddal municipality 4 From Stranda municipality 4

Case 2: Geiranger - Herdalen

• 1. Description of a situation

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An advicory group was established to provide local participation from the two municipalities Norddal and Stranda:

Local representatives: Members: Women: From Norddal municipality 4 From Stranda municipality 4

• 1. Description of a situation

Case 2: Geiranger - Herdalen

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A working group established in 2005 to elaborate management plan: Local representatives and county representatives:

Members: 8

Case 2: Geiranger - Herdalen

• 1. Description of a situation

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A working group established in 2005 to elaborate management plan: Local representatives and county representatives:

Members: Women: 8

Case 2: Geiranger - Herdalen

• 1. Description of a situation

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Svarstad, H., Daugstad, K.,Vistad, O.I. and Guldvik, I. (2006): New protected areas in Norway: Local participation without gender equality. Mountain Research and Development 26(1):48-54.

• 1. Description of a situation

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Maybe the lack of gender equality in the two cases were due to exceptional coincidences?

• 1. Description of a situation

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What about the situation in other cases in Norway?

We have counted and counted…:

• 1992-2010: Establishment of 54 new protected areas in

Norway.

• Of these 47 have been started (and many of these finished).
• In at least 34 of these: Reference groups have been/are at

work. Purpose: to get local participation and thereby local support for conservation.

• We have so far obtained data from 31 of the 34 cases.
• In a total of investigated 55 reference groups of the 31 cases:
• There are totally 510 local representatives of

these 55 reference groups.

• 1. Description of a situation

A quantitative gender study of the implementation of the Norwegian National Park Plan

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What about the situation in other cases in Norway?

Results:

• 1. Description of a situation

Local representatives in the 55 reference groups:

510 (100 %)

A quantitative gender study of the implementation of the Norwegian National Park Plan

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What about the situation in other cases in Norway?

Results:

• 1. Description of a situation

Local representatives in the 55 reference groups: Women among these:

510 (100 %) 67 (13.1 %)

• Many of these reference groups have no women at all.
• Only one of the 55 reference group in one municipality

has a majority of women (6 women, 3 men). A quantitative gender study of the implementation of the Norwegian National Park Plan

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Theory: Gender equality

• 1. Description of a situation: Findings from Norway:

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Theory: Gender equality Practice: ”The local participant” is most often a man

• 1. Description of a situation: Findings from Norway:

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• All over Europe there is a lack of research knowledge
• f the situation of gender equality in policy-making on

conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

• ALTER-Net focus on the issue:
• A workshop:

Klok, Chris and Rob van Apeldoorn eds. 2007: Gender and Biodiversity Management and Conservation in Europe. Workshop proceedings. Wageningen: Alterra.

• Work in progress based on cases from Norway

and Austria.

• 1. Description of a situation

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Data by Dr. Lisa Ringhofer, University of Klagenfurt, ALTER-Net gender project participant The Biosphere Park was founded in year 2000 Encompassing 6 municipalities 3500 inhabitants A core zone (strict natural forest reserve area) A buffer zone (maintaining cultivated landscapes) A development zone (people live and mainly work there)

• 1. Description of a situation

A case from Austria: Grosses Walsertal Biosphere Park

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Findings on gender: Women are more involved than men on grassrot activities on voluntary basis related to the Biosphere Park. The two employees of the Biosphere Park are women. The Biosphere Park was initiated by a regional political leader and led by him and the mayors from the 6 involved municipalities (all men). The decision-making is done by the Biosphere Board of trustees:

• 1. Description of a situation

A case from Austria: Grosses Walsertal Biosphere Park

Members: 7

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Findings on gender: Women are more involved than men on grassrot activities on voluntary basis related to the Biosphere Park. The two employees of the Biosphere Park are women. The Biosphere Park was initiated by a regional political leader and led by him and the mayors from the 6 involved municipalities (all men). The decision-making is done by the Biosphere Board of trustees:

• 1. Description of a situation

A case from Austria: Grosses Walsertal Biosphere Park

Members: Women: 7 1

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• 1. Description of a situation

Conclusion on all the cases: ”the local participant” is usually a man

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• 1. Description of a situation

Conclusion on all the cases: ”the local participant” is usually a man

• Any comments
• r questions to the

presentation so far?

• How are the

gender aspects in the case of Verdon?

• Do you know anything about gender aspects on

conservation issues in your own countries?

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• 2. Does it matter?

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If yes: Why?

• 2. Does it matter? Is it important to involve women

among local participants in decision-making and management of biodiversity conservation?

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If yes: Why?

• 2. Does it matter? Is it important to involve women

among local participants in decision-making and management of biodiversity conservation?

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It is emphasised by:

• the Convention on Biological Diversity:

”affirming the need for the full participation of women at all levels of policy-making and implementation for biological diversity conservation”

• A whole chapter of Agenda 21;
• the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development.

If yes: Why?

• 2. Does it matter? Is it important to involve women

among local participants in decision-making and management of biodiversity conservation?

• Essentialist argument: Women seen as the natural

care-takers of nature – e.g. Vand. Shiva. Outdated.

• Essentialist argument: Women seen as the natural

care-takers of nature.

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If yes: Why?

• 2. Does it matter? Is it important to involve women

among local participants in decision-making and management of biodiversity conservation?

• Essentialist argument: Women seen as the natural

care-takers of nature – e.g. Vand. Shiva. Outdated.

• Essentialist argument: Women seen as the natural

care-takers of nature – e.g. Vand. Shiva. Outdated.

Three seminal constributions to the academic debate:

• Shiva, V. (1989): Staying alive: women, ecology and
• development. London : Zed Books.
• Jackson, C. (1993): Doing What Comes Naturally? Women and

Environment in Development. World Development, 21 (12): 1947-1963).

• Braidotti, R., E. Charkiewicz, S. Hausler and S. Wieringa (1994):

Women, the environment and sustainable development: towards a theoretical synthesis. London: Zed Books.

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If yes: Why?

• 2. Does it matter? Is it important to involve women

among local participants in decision-making and management of biodiversity conservation?

• Arguments regarding political rights of (rural)

women.

• Essentialist argument: Women seen as the natural

care-takers of nature – e.g. Vand. Shiva. Outdated.

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If yes: Why?

• 2. Does it matter? Is it important to involve women

among local participants in decision-making and management of biodiversity conservation?

• Arguments regarding political rights of (rural)

women.

• Arguments regarding local participation in

conservation:

• Essentialist argument: Women seen as the natural

care-takers of nature – e.g. Vand. Shiva. Outdated.

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If yes: Why?

• 2. Does it matter? Is it important to involve women

among local participants in decision-making and management of biodiversity conservation?

• Arguments regarding political rights of (rural)

women.

• Arguments regarding local participation in

conservation:

Local partic. ensures local legitimacy for conservation

• Essentialist argument: Women seen as the natural

care-takers of nature – e.g. Vand. Shiva. Outdated.

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If yes: Why?

• 2. Does it matter? Is it important to involve women

among local participants in decision-making and management of biodiversity conservation?

• Arguments regarding political rights of (rural)

women.

• Arguments regarding local participation in

conservation:

Local partic. ensures local legitimacy for conservation Possible without participation by women?

• Essentialist argument: Women seen as the natural

care-takers of nature – e.g. Vand. Shiva. Outdated.

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If yes: Why?

• 2. Does it matter? Is it important to involve women

among local participants in decision-making and management of biodiversity conservation?

• Arguments regarding political rights of (rural)

women.

• Arguments regarding local participation in

conservation:

Local partic. ensures local legitimacy for conservation Possible without participation by women? Local and practical knowledge important

• Essentialist argument: Women seen as the natural

care-takers of nature – e.g. Vand. Shiva. Outdated.

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If yes: Why?

• 2. Does it matter? Is it important to involve women

among local participants in decision-making and management of biodiversity conservation?

• Arguments regarding political rights of (rural)

women.

• Arguments regarding local participation in

conservation:

Local partic. ensures local legitimacy for conservation Possible without participation by women? Local and practical knowledge important Local and practical knowledge is often gendered

• Essentialist argument: Women seen as the natural

care-takers of nature – e.g. Vand. Shiva. Outdated.

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What do you think? And why?

• 2. Does it matter? Is it important to involve women

among local participants in decision-making and management of biodiversity conservation?

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My arguments:

• In order to understand adequately questions and

conflicts on use and conservation of biodiversity, the tradition of political ecology has some important advantages.

• There is a need to end the ignorance of gender

dimensions in environmental research, and I think a feminist political ecology provides the best point of departure.

• 3. A feminist political ecology as a tool for knowledge production

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• 3. A feminist political ecology as a tool for knowledge production

What is political ecology?

• A recent tradition for studies on issues regarding use and

conservation of areas and natural resources.

• Strong emphasis on understanding conflicts and power

dimensions;

• The “ecology” part of political ecology implies broad focuses
• n bio-physical environments;
• The “political” part of the term has origins linked to “political

economy”, implies also a focus on power aspects.

• Political ecology does not provide one specific political view,

and it is not about the expression of strong political opinions without analyses.

• It is an inter-disciplinary tradition, integrating social and

natural science elements. Social science and qualitatively

• riented social science is more central to this perspective

than in most other inter-disciplinary approaches to natural resources.

• Emphasis on multiscale influences on local level realities.

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• 3. A feminist political ecology as a tool for knowledge production

What is political ecology?

The purpose of political ecology (according to Watts 2000:257): ”to understand the complex relations between nature and society through a careful analysis of what one might call the forms of access and control over resources and their implications for environmental health and sustainable livelihoods”.

Watts, MJ (2000): Political Ecology. In E. Sheppard and T. Barnes (eds): A Companion to Economic Geography. Malden MA: Blackwell Publishers.

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• 3. A feminist political ecology as a tool for knowledge production

Features of approaches CONTRARY to political ecology:

Studies ignoring or inadequately dealing with power aspect in issues on the use and conservation of areas and natural resources. Studies conducted as if own knowledge production represents the objective truth and without the capability or will to reflect on the positions from where this and other research studies are conducted. Studies conducted as if single case studies are interesting in themselves without cotextualising to other cases and without identifying relations to actors and structures on other levels. Ahistorical studies.

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• 3. A feminist political ecology as a tool for knowledge production
• Recommended recent text books on political ecology:
• Robbins, Paul (2004): Political ecology. Malden, MA,

Oxford, UK, Victoria, Australia: Blackwell Publishing.

• Stott, Ph. and Sian Sullivan (eds). 2000. Political ecology.

Science, myth and power. London: Arnold.

• Paulson, S. & L. Gezon eds. 2004: Political Ecology Across

Spaces, Scales and Social Groups. Rutgers University Press.

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• 3. A feminist political ecology as a tool for knowledge production

Some own contributions on political ecology:

• Svarstad, H. (2004): A global political ecology of
• bioprospecting. In: Paulson, S. & L. Gezon eds.: Political

Ecology Across Spaces, Scales and Social Groups. Rutgers University Press.

• Adger, W. N., T. A. Benjaminsen, K. Brown and H. Svarstad

(2001): Advancing a political ecology of global environmental discourses. Development and Change. 32 (4): 681-715.

• Benjaminsen, T.A. and H. Svarstad (2008): Understanding

traditionalist opposition to modernization: Narrative production in a Norwegian mountain conflict. Geogr. Ann. B Human Geography 90(1):49-62.

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• 3. A feminist political ecology as a tool for knowledge production

The ”feminist” part of a feminist political ecology Feminism is a position based on:

• An ontological theory that there exist gendered power

inequalities and gender related exploitation in the world.

• A norm that researchers (and others) ought to identify such

situations and their causes, and thereby contribute to their abolition and, thus, to the empowerment of oppressed groups.

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• 3. A feminist political ecology as a tool for knowledge production

The ”feminist” part of a feminist political ecology Feminism is a position based on:

• An ontological theory that there exist gendered power

inequalities and gender related exploitation in the world.

• A norm that researchers (and others) should identify such

situations and their causes and thereby contribute to their abolition and thus to the empowerment of oppressed groups.

• A feminist political ecology focuses on gender dimensions

in questions on conservation and sustainable use of areas and natural resources.

• A feminist political ecology applies epistemology from

political ecology as well as from the tradition of gender studies.

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• 3. A feminist political ecology as a tool for knowledge production

Comments or questions?

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• 4. Explanations. Why is ”the local participant” – in

investigated cases – usually a man?

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Explanatory factors must be studied on various levels. A political ecology methodology can be applied to establish ”chains of explanations” from lowest to highest level.

Blaikie, P. and H. Brookfield (1987): Land Degradation and

• Society. London: Methuen.
• 4. Explanations. Why is ”the local participant” – in

investigated cases – usually a man?

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Explanatory factors on various levels:

• 4. Explanations. Why is ”the local participant” – in

investigated cases – usually a man?

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Explanatory factors on various levels:

• 1. Perceptions among local

people of gender and natural resources?

E.g. ”Supply factors”? Not in the investigated cases.

• 4. Explanations. Why is ”the local participant” – in

investigated cases – usually a man?

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Explanatory factors on various levels:

• 1. Perceptions among local

people of gender and natural resources?

E.g. ”Supply factors”? Not in the investigated cases.

• 2. Characteristics of the

selection situations for local participants?

E.g. ”Demand factors”? Yes, few women were asked to be local representatives. And some structural explanations

• 4. Explanations. Why is ”the local participant” – in

investigated cases – usually a man?

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Ex: Structural features of the Dovrefjell Council

• Half of the participants in the Dovrefjell

Council consists of adminstrative representatives. Among these: 0 women

• Political representatives from municipalities:

One from each municipality – usually the mayor. There are hardly any women among mayors in these municipalities

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• 3. International factors?

Should have been positive (int’l conventions on the environment, and on gender equality).

Explanatory factors on various levels:

• 1. Perceptions among local

people of gender and natural resources?

E.g. ”Supply factors”? Not in the investigated cases.

• 2. Characteristics of the

selection situations for local participants?

E.g. ”Demand factors”? Yes, few women were asked to be local representatives. And some structural explanations

• 4. Explanations. Why is ”the local participant” – in

investigated cases – usually a man?

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• 3. International factors?

Should have been positive (int’l conventions on the environment, and on gender equality).

• 4. National level factors?

. Legal loopholes? Probably not . The Norwegian authorities on natural resources management has a sector responsibility to ensure gender equality on all levels. This responsibility has been neglected.

Explanatory factors on various levels:

• 1. Perceptions among local

people of gender and natural resources?

E.g. ”Supply factors”? Not in the investigated cases.

• 2. Characteristics of the

selection situations for local participants?

E.g. ”Demand factors”? Yes, few women were asked to be local representatives. And some structural explanations

• 4. Explanations. Why is ”the local participant” – in

investigated cases – usually a man?

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• 4. Explanations. Why is ”the local participant” – in

investigated cases – usually a man? Comments or questions?

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• 5. What should be done?

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• 5. What should be done?
• Needs for research knowledge
• Needs for policy changes – first of all on national level

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• 5. What should be done?
• Needs for research knowledge
• Needs for policy changes – first of all on national level

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• 5. What should be done?
• Needs for research knowledge
• Needs for policy changes – first of all on national level

Comments or questions?

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