Women's participation in REDD+ national decision-making in Vietnam

T.T Pham,Y.H Mai,M Moeliono,M Brockhaus

doi:10.1505/146554816819501691

T.T Pham, Y.H Mai + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.1505/146554816819501691

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Abstract

Numerous conceptual and empirical studies have been undertaken on the participation of women in decision-making bodies related to forestry. However, very little of this knowledge and experience has been applied to REDD+ decision-making at the national level. This study uses Vietnam as a case study to analyse factors that influence women's participation in national level REDD+ decision-making processes. Although large numbers of women participate in REDD+ meetings, and women at the national level are less affected by discriminatory cultural and social norms, considerable obstacles remain to the full participation of women. The recruitment protocol of Vietnam's forestry sector is not favourable to women, they are rarely appointed to leadership positions and their participation in REDD+ working groups is often nominal. In addition to weak capacity to implement gender strategies, a lack of concern for gender issues prevails among national organizations working on REDD+ in Vietnam.

Highlights

REDD+, a mechanism for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and enhancing forest carbon stocks in developing countries, was proposed and negotiated as part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
This review shows that promotion of gender equality is mentioned in many policy documents, such as the National Strategy and Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women and the Viet Nam Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which have set specific targets for the participation of women in positions of leadership and management (UN-REDD Vietnam 2013)
The study shows a number of opportunities to enhance the bargaining power of women in the decision-making process, including: legal frameworks that incorporate gender issues in REDD+, the significant number of female participants at REDD+ political events, and a decrease in discriminatory cultural and social norms affecting women at the national level

Summary

Introduction

REDD+, a mechanism for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and enhancing forest carbon stocks in developing countries, was proposed and negotiated as part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Indigenous people and other local communities have demanded that REDD+ policies and projects fully guarantee their land and forest rights, and have ensured their participation in related decision-making arenas (Gomes et al 2010, Griffiths 2008, Larson et al 2013, Sikor et al 2010). Gender inequalities within these arenas, often further cemented within the institutional history, existing legal frameworks and decision-making procedures, are increasingly seen as a weak link in the effective design and implementation of interventions to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change on forests and people (UN-REDD 2011). This paper argues for the need to consider gender in REDD+ beyond outcome efficiency, and to tackle fundamental questions of contextual, distributional and procedural equity

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