Abstract
AbstractSacred forests or groves are patches of forest vegetation that are traditionally protected by local communities because of their religious or cultural significance. The ecological aspects of sacred forests have been the focus of most of the scholarly discourse; little scholarship has examined how local people perceive their sacred areas. This scholarly lacuna is especially pronounced with respect to women, as the majority of sacred forests have traditionally been the domain of the men. Until recently, the sacred forests tradition in most regions endured with minimal participation of women, but with changing socio-economic and cultural conditions, sacred forests are declining. By examining women's perspectives regarding their relationship with their sacred forests, this research informs the scholarship on gender and sacred forests, and explores the role women can play in forest conservation. In 2015–2017, we conducted village meetings and in-depth interviews in four villages located in and around the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary in the Western Ghats region of Maharashtra state, India. We found that apart from rules and taboos governing the protection of these sacred forests, taboos also revolve around the access and interaction of women with the sacred forests, with women having less control and decision-making power than men. Nevertheless, women expressed interest in continuation of the tradition of sacred forests, and the younger generation wants some of the gendered rules to change. We recommend including women in management and decision-making processes to strengthen the institution of sacred forests.
Highlights
In many societies, natural areas or landscapes are deemed sacred
In Okinawa, Japan, women’s control extends beyond the sacred forests: they are the acknowledged and respected leaders of the local religion and are the principal priestesses in the community (Sered, ). To address this gap in scholarship, we explore the perspectives of women towards their sacred forests, the taboos surrounding sacred forests, and the future changes they expect
We initially discuss the characteristics of the sacred forests in the studied villages and our findings regarding women’s perspectives of and relationships with sacred forests and other forest areas
Summary
Natural areas or landscapes are deemed sacred. Wild & McLeod ( , p. ) define ‘sacred natural sites’ as ‘areas of land or water having special spiritual. In the most general and simplistic terms, sacred forests can be defined as traditional community-conserved forest patches that hold high cultural or spiritual significance for local people (Ormsby & Bhagwat, ). Sacred forests are managed and protected through a system of taboos, norms and sanctions, resulting in forest conservation They have been receiving increased international attention because of their forest and biodiversity conservation potential (Kent, ); this potential coupled with local community involvement makes them a powerful conservation approach (Ormsby & Bhagwat, ). There have been numerous studies on the ecological significance, biodiversity and conservation importance of sacred forests (see review by Ray et al, ), there have been few about how sacred forests are perceived by the local communities that protect them (Ormsby, ).
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