Carrying the Burden:Understanding the Influences on Women’s Fuel-wood Collection

Practices in Northeastern Tanzania

Elizabeth MorrillBates College

Presentation for the Trans-Boundary Protected Areas Research Initiative

Wednesday May 12, 2004

Study Site: Usambara Mountains

Usambara Mountains have high biodiversity and endemism. Also serve as water catchments.

Dense human populations. Livelihood is primarily farming.

Concern for regional forests and their future existence.

Usambara Mountains

Focus of Work

• Gender dimensions of environment use looking at fuel-wood collection.

• Gendered roles, rights and responsibilities within the environment.

• Women’s effects on environment and the consequences of the environments health on women.

Theory: Feminist Political Ecology

• Gendered power and space in the environment.

• Gender division of…

- Land use

- Responsibility

- Control/ownership

Methodology

• Gender sensitive research methods • Beneficial information to community• Multi-methods approach

All techniques to understand the role of gender in the environment

Gender Sensitive Data Gathering Techniques

• Seasonal (harvest) Calendars

• Gender Resource Mapping

• Focus Groups

• Interviews, Participant Observation, Transect Walks.

Seasonal Calendars

• To gain information on people’s seasonal work schedules, times of stress, famines, financial difficulties, and environmental stresses.

• Help to better understand the gender differences or similarities of responsibilities, control, and labor.

Gender Resource Map Making

• To understand spatially male and female perspectives on the environment.

• To look more closely at power relationships within the environment.

• Examining how the landscape becomes engendered and the resulting consequences.

Example of Gender Map Making from Dianne Rocheleau’s work in Kenya

Focus Groups

• Better understanding perspectives. Consensus on shared knowledge.

• Reaffirming information

• Dialogue for groups to discuss ideas and problems

Other Research Methods

• Interviews

• Participant observation

• Transect walks

Benefits to Research Methods

• Gender sensitive information for conservation and development groups.

• Shared knowledge within local community.

• Addressing environmental and gender issues within community.

Results from Data

• “In-between” spaces

• Local forestry laws, formal and informal

• Women’s groups

• Spread of environmentalism

• Gendered control, permission required.

Further Studies

• Focus on male gender roles

• Critically looking at gendered spaces.

• Examining women’s groups more closely to look for furthering women’s empowerment.

• Applying ideas in local conservation and development plans.

References

• Rocheleau, Dianne, David Edmunds. 1997 “Women, Men and Trees: Gender, Power and Property in Forest and Agrarian Landscapes.” World Development, Aug, Vol. 25 Issue 8, p1351. Academic Search Premier.

• Rocheleau, Dianne. Thomas-Slayter, Barbara. Wangari, Esther. 1996. “Gender a Environment” In Feminist Political Ecology. Rocheleau, Dianne. Thomas-Slayter, Barbara. Wangari, Esther, eds. Routledge: New York.

• Thomas-Slayter, Barbara. Esser, Andrea Lee. Shields, M. Dale. Tools of Gender Analysis. ECOGEN Research project International Development Program. Clark University. July, 1993.