Engendering REDD workshop report

Summary

REDD provides a framework for supporting projects that can have positive impacts on communities, improve livelihoods, and conserve and restore forest resources. REDD clearly presents opportunities for positive outcomes for forest-dependent communities, but also risks serious negative outcomes, especially for women who rely on forest resources to sustain their families’ livelihoods. Current discussions on REDD are very weak with respect to the gender dimension and to its impacts on rural women who have few or no options. It is critical that this gap be addressed so that the policies, mechanisms and processes take full account of the differentiated rights, roles and responsibilities of men and women, promote gender equality and equity in REDD policy and practice and reward women who protect and manage forest resources.

Since REDD is performance-based, it rewards programs that are more effective and more efficient. This provides a rationale for mainstreaming gender; it is important to demonstrate cases where women’s involvement has shown to make a difference in terms of effectiveness and efficiency.

Presentations in this two day meeting informed participants of the ground-level realities of REDD-related activities in Bolivia, Argentina, the Congo Basin, and Cambodia, as well as the policies and programs of UN REDD, IUCN, GGCA, and the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance.