Gender and REDD+: An Assessment in the Oddar Meanchey Community Forestry REDD+ Site, Cambodia

Summary

The importance of integration of gender in sustainable forest management has been proven through decades of research and experience. By contrast, consideration of gender in the emerging REDD+ discussions has been lacking, with energies concentrated in political, technical, and funding issues. In Cambodia, a number of laws and policies are already in place at the national level to integrate gender in governance systems. In particular, the Forestry Administration has already developed a Gender Mainstreaming Policy and Strategy for the Forest Sector (GMPSFS). Despite all of these efforts, constraints to implementation remain, ranging from low female literacy rates to ingrained cultural and social norms. This study focuses on a case study, the Oddar Meanchey Community Forestry REDD+ Site in Cambodia, to explore gender issues within REDD+.