This paper examines how rural livelihoods are improved owing to the impact of policy interventions through community‐driven forest management in West Bengal, India. As an instance of comparative analysis of a gender‐sensitive forestry program, this study employs the “sustainable rural livelihoods” framework to assess any enhancement of livelihood opportunities across various socioeconomic groups in forest fringe areas. In general, robust livelihoods sustainability is found for a pro‐poor section of rural households that participated in the forestry program. Amongst participants, however, especially the feminine units attain more favorable livelihoods outcome. Conversely, the program's eschewed households are behind sustainable livelihoods. It is therefore early need to expand the participatory forestry program for sustaining poor households' livelihood security in forest fringe areas of rural India.
JEL classification: Q23 J16 C25 Q56
Keywords:Bengal forest resource Gender driven participatory forest management Physical and financial dependence on forest Determinants and factors affecting participation in forestry a b s t r a c tThe study examines extent of women's dependence on forest and their participation in gender sensitive planning of joint forest management programme in West Bengal, where the provincial government made pioneer attempt during early 1990s by establishing separate female forest management unit to accommodate women's preference, needs, knowledge and values on forest resources providing separate provision in institutions. It suggests that women's participation in their own management unit is substantially higher than men's in the general (joint) forest management unit, and the former ensures women's major contribution to their household's income with women's greater physical involvement in forestry works.
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