Gender differences in traditional knowledge of useful plants in a Brazilian community

Abstract

Genders differ in traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) about plants, but how gender influences TEK sharing is still poorly understood. Here, we examined how gender is associated with the diversity, transmission, and structure of TEK. We tested whether women and men differ in terms of plant knowledge (species richness, α-diversity), knowledge heterogeneity (β-diversity), and in the structure of social-ecological networks they form. The study was carried out in a suburban community in the city of Ouro Preto, Southeastern, Brazil. Using the snow-ball technique, semi-structured interviews, guided tours, and participant observation, we gathered information from 33 women and 33 men in the community. We collected information about their culture, social-economic profiles, and plant knowledge from which we identified 291 plant species in 10 use categories. Overall, our results indicated that the cognition and sharing of ethnobotanical knowledge are structured by gender. Women rated better in their plant knowledge repertory (greater α-diversity), while plant knowledge among men was more heterogeneous (greater β-diversity), suggesting less information sharing among them. We observed that the network among women is more connected, exhibited greater information sharing, with a greater number of central individuals, who likely provide the cohesion and maintenance of TEK in the community. Our findings indicate how social-ecological networks can provide insights and information to unveil social patterns of knowledge transmission. Understanding how TEK is fostered and shared among community members will favor better planning of ethnobotanical studies, as well as inform decision-makers about strategies for the conservation of plant TEK.

Indigenous Knowledge on the Uses, Sustainability and Conservation of African Ginger (Siphonochilus aethiopicus) among Two Communities in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa

“…The data is contradictory to some existing evidence in literature that women are the custodians of the indigenous knowledge because they are the ones who often diagnose and treat the diseases in their households [37,38]. Likewise, da Costa et al [39] revealed that females had more indigenous knowledge on the use of plants in health care delivery systems when compared to males. On the other hand, the study of Teklehaymanot et al [40] in Ethiopia and Moichwanetse et al [41] in South Africa aligned with the current findings that men are more knowledgeable about the indigenous knowledge associated with medicinal plants.…”

The traditional use of wild edible plants in pastoral and agro-pastoral communities of Mieso District, eastern Ethiopia

“…This finding is in line with previous ethnobotanical studies [ 55 , 56 ]. However, some studies have shown that females often tend to have better traditional knowledge, because they mostly participate in activities that support their households and sustenance to their family [ 57 – 60 ]. This culturally acquired knowledge is combined with day-to-day information to improve their subsistence for their families [ 61 ].…”

Ethnobotanical study on traditional medicinal plants used by Oromo ethnic people of Goro district, Bale zone of Oromia region, Ethiopia

“…The dominance of the Asteraceae family owes to its cosmopolitan distribution (Andenberg et al 2007). Previous reports show high usage of this family for medicinal purpose in Ethiopia (e.g., Birhanu et al 2015, Mesfin et al 2009, Mogosse 2016) and in other countries (da Costa et al 2021, Hosseini et al 2021, Jafarirad & Rasoulpour 2019.…”