Enhancing the Role of Women in Natural Resource Management

The natural resource management bodies in most countries are largely dominated by men with regards to numbers and to the allocation of leadership roles. This gender imbalance affects social justice. Women will find their choices limited, as they will be relegated to lower positions in the organization, where they will have very little influence on decision-making. As a result of demeaning women, the organization will fail to obtain the benefits of the women’s views and of fully utilizing the available resources by overlooking some of their skilled workforce—the women.

Women can play a crucial role in overseeing the initiation and development of projects meant to utilize natural resources. Upon completion of the project, they can facilitate a commissioning of the same endeavor, where they can use grs cors to achieve sustainable operation levels right from the onset.

This article delves into the importance of natural resources regarding women for the roles they play in society, and how the gender imbalance in natural resource management can be rectified.

Natural resources offer the means for basic survival

Among many societies, it has been observed that women are both the main users and the managers, by default, of natural resources, which are the sources of basic survival. Among African communities residing in rural areas, a big chunk of food security (approximately 80%) and water security (about 90%) is squarely the responsibility of women. Women gather firewood for energy as well as plants and herbs to provide medicines, and they make use of natural resources to sustain the welfare of their families and of the society.

The majority of the disadvantaged and impoverished rural population is women whose social roles and obligations make them rely on the various products of the natural resources. As such, any mismanagement of natural resources would more so impact them than it would affect the men. It is then logical to place women in charge or to give them an opportunity to have a greater influence on decisions made relating to natural resources.

Loss of natural resources increases vulnerability to external forces

As earlier stated, the majority of rural populations count heavily on natural resources for their food, medicine, energy (fuel), and water supplies. Any mismanagement of the natural resources would not only affect those basic survival requirements, but it would also expose the rural populations, the majority of whom are women, to other external forces. Such forces include abrupt changes in population dimensions, wars and conflicts, and fast economic growth.

Improving women’s roles in natural resources management

Women rely heavily on natural resources for food and sustenance, and have much information on the best way to manage the resources, thus causing them to play a better stewardship role; however, their views in the planning and implementation of these resources are disregarded. Women should be allowed to contribute to the management of these resources to ensure sustainable poverty alleviation and good management of the resources. The obstacles that hinder women from actively participating in the management and benefits from decision-making must be removed. These barriers include insecure land and resources tenure; educational and professional training opportunities; avenues for accessing finances; high exposure to health perils; and economic, cultural, and political barriers.