Gender in European forest ownership and management: reflections on women as “New forest owners”

Explaining gender differences in private forest risk management

“…Sweden, Finland, Canada, Lithuania) is lower levels of forest management activities among female owners compared to their male counterparts (e.g. in harvesting levels and silvicultural operations) (Lidestav and Ekström 2000;Lidestav and Berg Lejon 2013;Kuuluvainen et al 2014;Coté et al 2016;Follo et al 2016). This difference appears to be widespread, although not confirmed in all studies (e.g.…”

“…to what extent women are allowed to influence the management of forests). The need to include a gender perspective to understand individual private forest owners (also labelled small-scale forest owners or family forest owners) has been highlighted in previous research (Follo et al 2016). With a changing climate, forest threats and the pro-active management of forest threats have become urgent issues (Lindner et al 2010;Trumboro et al 2015).…”

“…Even though several studies have confirmed a gender difference in management (e.g. Follo et al 2016), systematic analyses of the underlying causes of this difference are lacking. In the present study, potential explanations for gender differences in private forest risk management were explored by considering structural differences between female and male owners, as well as differences in socialpsychological factors and forest involvement.…”

“…individual behaviours and roles). Gender dynamics on various levels interact and influence forest management (Lidestav and Egan Sjölander 2007;Colfer and Minarchek 2013;Follo et al 2016). Thus, gendered processes on a micro level (including management by individual owners) may be linked not only to the almost globally accepted hierarchy between men and women but also to the social patterns determining women's relationships to forests in a specific region or country.…”

“…Gender is a salient dimension in the socio-economic system of forest management (Colfer and Minarchek 2013;Follo et al 2016). Uncovering gender dimensions in the system can explain outcomes of forest management (e.g.…”