What’s gender got to do with DRC’s iconic forests?

Women work in a tree nursery in Yangambi, DRC. Photo by Axel Fassio/CIFOR-ICRAF

The management of forest resources is a crucial endeavour for sustainable development in the Yangambi landscape in the Tshopo province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Yet forest management is first and foremost about people – and gendered perspectives are often missing from such pursuits. 

The Centre for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) has been operating in Yangambi for over a decade, in partnership with the University of Kisangani (UNIKIS), among other local and international partners. In February 2024, CIFOR-ICRAF and UNIKIS ran an inaugural course on gender equity and social inclusion (GESI) as part of the university’s master’s programme in biodiversity management and sustainable forest planning. 

“Integrating such a course not only fosters collaboration, but also enhances understanding of the fundamental role of gender and identity in shaping natural resource management,” said CIFOR-ICRAF GESI lead Elisabeth Garner. “By equipping future leaders with these insights, the CIFOR-ICRAF-UNIKIS collaboration continues to drive positive change towards more inclusive and sustainable forest management practices in the Democratic Republic of Congo.”

Student Ghislain Mawisa opined on the course’s value: “As specialists in sustainable biodiversity management, it is crucial for us to understand existing relationships of inequality in our landscapes to promote inclusive management and equitable benefit sharing, combat stereotypes, and advance equality. The developed approaches, particularly in gender-related scientific research and integration projects in landscape restoration, have enhanced our knowledge and ability to comprehend and manage gender-related projects.”

Elisabeth Garner and Bibiche Salumu. Photo by Elisabeth Garner/CIFOR-ICRAF

As part of the course, the students carried out fieldwork alongside the CIFOR-ICRAF team in Yangambi, conducting semi-structured interviews and perspective-based approaches with local populations and CIFOR-ICRAF staff. They found that “despite their pivotal role in subsistence forest activities like the collection of non-timber forest products, for example, women are frequently sidelined in decision-making processes concerning forest management,” said Masiwa.

“This exclusion stems from entrenched social norms, gender stereotypes, and limited access to education and training opportunities,” he said. “Such gender inequality not only undermines the sustainability of forest management but also perpetuates social and economic disparities within forest-dependent communities”. 

Bibiche Salumu, political scientist and head of research at UNIKIS’ social, administrative, and political sciences faculty, added that “gender inequalities exist in every society and human community, and Yangambi as a site is under the influence of patriarchy, male domination and the subjugation of women. This reality is not significantly explored in scientific research, so silence on the activities of women and other marginalized groups in forest management in Yangambi is a serious oversight.”

The learners’ feedback indicated a significant shift in their understanding and analysis of social norms and cultural dynamics in the DRC, particularly those related to gender. Many acknowledged that the course helped them deconstruct ‘social facts’ that they had previously perceived as innate, leading to a deeper understanding of how social norms influence relationships between men and women – and consequently with the environment.

Ghislain Mawisa conducts field interviews in Yangambi. Photo by Ghislain Mawisa/UNIKIS

This process of deconstructing social inequities was facilitated through theoretical discussions on GESI that enabled the learners to grasp power dynamics in natural resource management. The field study also illuminated the challenges faced by women in forest governance, including social marginalization, logistical barriers, and restrictive cultural norms; and the opportunities that exist in facilitating women’s input into decision-making processes in forest management and local development.

The adoption of a gender and development approach transcends mere political correctness; it is a strategic imperative for ensuring the effectiveness of conservation and sustainable development efforts. This approach focuses on understanding the power dynamics between genders that shape participation, benefits, and control over resources and activities. By integrating gender perspectives, it becomes possible to ensure the sustainable and equitable utilization of forest resources, thereby fostering environmental stewardship and social equity. 

“Studies that rethink gender relations under an environmental and/or ecological label in Yangambi, and take account of gender-sensitive local knowledge, would now be opportune as a means to perpetuate the achievements of the various interventions relating to forest management across the landscape,” said Salumu.