Economics of Gender in Resource Dependent Communities

Abstract

Gender inequalities exist within commons-dependent communities in developing countries regarding the role of society’s overall attitudes to women as decision-makers. While, in forestry, women have some access to resources and decision-making, in other community resources like fisheries and irrigation water, women are absent and males entirely dominate. Different theories on gender and environment suggest that women’s inclusion is an important step toward reducing their economic marginalization and argue that in reality women’s economic advancement/empowerment may not get carried into home and community spaces as durable empowerment if society holds negative attitudes toward women’s needs, contribution and deservedness in families and beyond. Due to society’s negative attitudes toward women, women remain trapped in a vicious cycle of exclusion. Breaking this vicious cycle requires combining household assets and income to assess women’s true poverty type. A flat implementation of economic policies toward women’s pathway out of poverty may not yield the desired results and may even be counterproductive if society’s negative attitudes and the poverty characteristics of women or female-headed households are not taken into account. Since all women are not homogeneous and that a few communities hold pro-women attitudes, to promote women’s economic empowerment, the role of society’s attitudes toward women’s participation as decision-makers cannot be ignored as women’s relations to their social, economic, political, and natural environments are itself a culturally and historically specific process, which can be understood only through identifying and understanding gender-specific attitudes and actions toward those environments.

Assessing the Influence of Social Factors on Local Perceptions of Climate Change, Product Value Addition, Multiple Uses of NTFPs, and Their Influence on Poverty Alleviation in Ghana

“…In addition to income, education, and occupation, gender often plays a vital role in determining an individual's vulnerability to climate change [52,53]. Due to their roles in resource-dependent activities, limited access to resources, and restricted mobility, women are disproportionately vulnerable in many societies [54,55]. Consequently, women may be more sensitive to the effects of climate change on their communities.…”

Factors that Influence Local Perceptions of Climate Change, Product Value Addition, Multiple Uses of NTFPs, and Their Impact on Poverty Alleviation in Ghana

“…In addition to income, education, and occupation, gender often plays a vital role in determining an individual's vulnerability to climate change (Combest-Friedman et al, 2012; Masozera et al, 2007). Due to their roles in resource-dependent activities, limited access to resources, and restricted mobility, women are disproportionately vulnerable in many societies (Mujere, 2016;Ray & Mukherjee, 2022). Consequently, women may be more sensitive to the effects of climate change on their communities.…”