The Dimension of Gender in Peatland Management in Rantau Baru Village

Abstract

Although harnessing full community participation in natural resource management produces positive ecological and economic outcomes, the specific roles of men and women in peatland communities are often overlooked. This study investigates the differentiated knowledge and roles of both men and women in peatland management in Rantau Baru, a fishing and farming Peat Care Village (Desa Peduli Gambut) in Riau Province, Indonesia. Primary data were collected through a survey of 152 households conducted from January–February 2020 and subsequent follow up interviews with community members. Modifying the Harvard Analytical Framework, the study examines knowledge levels of men and women as well as productive (peatland cultivation and fishery) activity, reproductive or domestic (childcare and household finance) activity, and sociopolitical (community meetings) activity. It finds that men are significantly more knowledgeable about peatlands than women and that peatland agricultural activities are dominated by men, but that gender roles are more evenly distributed in fishery activities. Women and men play complementary roles in “reproductive activities” of the household, but women do not participate nearly as much as men in the public sphere of “sociopolitical activities,” such as attending community, association, and village meetings. The study provides new insight into the community’s knowledge of peatland according to gender, and the potential role of both male and female community members in peatland restoration. Any project or program on peatland restoration should recognize the basic features and differences of gender roles and the specific needs of men and women to ensure the optimal contribution of all community members to peatland management and restoration.