Addressing barriers to women’s participation in community-protected areas and community forestry through gender-based violence intervention
In rural areas, women aspire to contribute more, especially in protecting the forests they’ve depended on for generations. These forests provide vital natural resources and non-timber products for their livelihoods. However, several barriers hinder their active involvement in community activities. While forest protection should be a collective responsibility, traditional gender roles and an unsupportive environment often limit women’s participation.
Participating in community activities is not only about safeguarding the forest but also about exercising their rights, ensuring their safety and securing food and income for their families. Gender-based violence, in various forms, poses a significant challenge in Cambodia’s environmental and forestry context. Verbal abuse, harassment and physical threat can deter women from engaging fully in these activities. This issue needs urgent attention because all women deserve to be treated with respect and they are able to participate in processes that affect them.
Women face additional burdens and barriers when working to protect forests and natural resources. Reports of harassment and inappropriate behavior from men during their participation further exacerbate these challenges. To address this issue at the community level, it is essential to raise awareness and work towards eliminating gender-based violence. This intervention aims to promote women’s participation and leadership in community-protected areas and community forestry by addressing gender-based violence barriers.
The project was officially launched at the national level on 11 April 2023, with the participation of stakeholders, including partners, nongovernment organizations, government officials and community leaders. A provincial-level launch followed on 21 June 2023, with officials from provincial departments and committees in Kompong Chhnang province. The project garnered commitments from relevant stakeholders to support future activities.
Next steps
RECOFTC, in partnership with GADC, will provide training to community members, especially women, in the target communities. The training will include the following modules:
| Module 1 | Community mobilization for behavior change |
| Module 2 | Gender-based violence and gender equality and gender-based violence and environmental linkages |
| Module 3 | Feminist advocacy in addressing gender-based violence barriers to women’s participation in community-protected area management. |
Additionally, awareness campaigns and men’s dialogues will be conducted as part of the next action plan.
About Rise Up!
Rise Up! is an initiative led by RECOFTC in partnership with Gender and Development for Cambodia (GADC). The initiative is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and managed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) under the Resilient, Inclusive and Sustainable Environments (RISE) grant challenge. The project will run from January 2023 to December 2024, working towards empowering women and fostering gender equality by addressing gender-based violence barriers/challenges in community-based conservation efforts.