Ghana Environmental Management Project (GEMP)

How to Mainstream

Gender Equality in

ProjectsManagement of Vegetative Cover

MODULE 5

Management of Vegetative CoverManagement of Vegetative Cover Projects Projects

Introduction to the Module

These modules are for government staff of the ministries and departments related to Environmental Protection, Environment, Science and Technology, Food and Agriculture, Gender, Children and Social Protection; District staff, planners and Gender Desk Officers; NGOs, CBOs, women's groups and community leaders.

The modules cover each of the six themes of the Ghana Environmental Management Project: Module 1: Land use and soil managementModule 2: Wildlife and biodiversity conservationModule 3: Energy resource managementModule 4: Water resource managementModule 5: Management of vegetative coverModule 6: Alternative and sustainable livelihoods.

Contents Introduction to the Module .................................................................................................................... 2

Gender and Management of Vegetative Cover ...................................................................................... 4

1. Problem Identification ................................................................................................................ 4

Gender Issues

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4

2.

Project Design

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6

Project Logic Model: Gender and management of vegetative cover

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3.

Project Implementation

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Case Study 1: Fian community adopts environmentally friendly methods to improve on their

health and well being

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Case Study 2: Everyone a Fire Fighter!

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Case Study 3: "The land belongs to the future."

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Case Study 4: The day bush burning stopped in Zaazi

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4.

Project Monitoring

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Indicators

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15

5.

Project Evaluation

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Monitoring and Evaluation Tools

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Despite many agencies' commitment to gender equality, gender mainstreaming in project cycle management has been limited. Some pay attention to gender during Problem Identification, and at certain points of the Design and Monitoring phases. To truly mainstream gender in sustainable land management projects, each phase of the project cycle needs to be linked with appropriate gender analysis tools and key gender questions.

Each module contains advice on how to mainstream gender through the project cycle: 1. Problem Identification2. Project Design3. Project Implementation4. Project Monitoring 5. Project Evaluation

You can use these materials to assist you to go through the planning cycle with staff, district stakeholders and communities to ensure that the gender issues of inequity are really being addressed by interventions for gender and sustainable land management. Each section contains key questions and examples to assist you to design, implement and monitor gender-sensitive projects with stakeholders and communities.

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Gender and Management of Vegetative Cover

Problem identification involves understanding the problems, needs and opportunities related to gender and sustainable land management. It should take into consideration environmental policy, current technologies, ways of working with communities, and considerations for transforming existing gender relations of power and control.

When you are identifying a problem related to gender and sustainable land management, answer the following questions to ensure that gender equality is mainstreamed.

1. Has relevant gender information, especially socio‐economic information, been identified and collected so that it can be included in discussions about project design?

2. Is background data disaggregated by sex? (In many cases, disaggregation by other social identities such as age and ethnic origin is also required, given that communities are rarely homogeneous units.)

3. Have gender specialists (in the CBO or NGO, for example) and representatives of women's organizations within the community been consulted?

4. Have both men and women been involved in problem identification (even if the ultimate problem recognized affects one sex more than the other)?

Here is a list of some of the issues of gender inequity (gender issues) related to management of vegetative cover:

1. Deforestation leads to the depletion of fuel wood and therefore women and girls travel longer distances to harvest fuel wood. The long walks and heavy loads affect their health. Also because of the extra work involved, girls' education is negatively affected.

2. Overgrazing by transient herdsmen depletes the amount of grass for grazing. This requires shepherd boys and girls to travel longer distances to graze their animals, which affects their health and education.

3. Bush fires and cutting of trees leads to the destruction of economic trees. Since economic trees are the main sources of income for women, it reduces women's income levels and their standard of living.

4. Deforestation, overgrazing and bush fires contribute to soil erosion reducing the availability of fertile and arable land, making it even more difficult for women to access fertile land.

5. Illegal mining activities affect the vegetative cover and leads to the pollution of water bodies, making women and girls walk longer distances to access potable water.

6. Representation and participation of women in District and Community Environmental Management Committees community-level bodies are often low, limiting their input in decision making.

7. Insecure land and tree tenure prevents women from investing in woodlots, making it difficult for them to be part of the vegetative cover management system.

8. Extinction of medicinal plants affects women's ability to use that indigenous knowledge and practices to keep family members healthy.

1. Problem Identification

Gender Issues

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9. Food Insecurity, due to the low yields from degraded lands, puts stress on women to feed their families.Malnutrition may affect both men and women, but especially children.

10. Because of shortages of food and limitations to their livelihood, men migrate to find alternative sources of income leaving women over loaded with family responsibilities.

The following is a short description of the major gender issues of inequity related to management of vegetative cover:

The forests, woodlands and grazing lands form the major component of the vegetative cover in the drylands ecosystem. However, deforestation, overgrazing and bushfires have degraded and reduced the quality of vegetative cover. In addition, low vegetative cover during the long dry season also renders most of the soils susceptible to erosion during the rainy season. This, in turn, exacerbates the low fertility problem. The annual bush fires have contributed to the slow regeneration of the vegetative cover of marginal lands and other un-cropped lands.

Removal of vegetative cover by livestock and overgrazing has a major impact and contribute to land degradation and desertification. During the long dry season, there is an inflow of transient Fulani herdsmen with their cattle and their activities, resulting in setting of fires, destruction of food crops and economic trees, and degrading the range lands. This has been a concern of communities in all three northern regions. The grazing and trampling on the vegetative cover reduces protective plant cover, vigour and re-growth. The indirect effects of overgrazing lead to soil compaction and, may enhance runoff and erosion. The promotion of community-based rangeland management through reseeding of rangelands with leguminous and improved pasture seeds is yet to materialize in the project area. The promotion and support of community based land resource management plans is recommended.

The issue of perennial bushfires for land clearing, hunting, triggering of fresh and succulent vegetation for cattle, sheep and goats, and control of harmful pest and animals, is negativiely affecting the quantity and quality of the vegetative cover. The operations of small- and medium-scale mining activities also destroy extensive vegetative cover. Reclaiming degraded lands by involving the local people could enhance the productivity of community natural resources. The collection of fuel wood both for domestic and commercial energy uses leads to the depletion of vegetative cover, and most notably economic tree species. The rate of depletion has increased the distance for collecting Shea nuts and fuel wood; thereby increasing women's workload. Reducing workload is critical to women's health, empowerment and household wellbeing. The men trek over long distances to collect grass (thatch) for roofing.

A major activity in reversing desertification is the establishment of permanent and temporary vegetative cover on the land. The promotion of vegetative re-growth is environmentally desirable to control erosion, supply fuel wood for the communities and fodder for livestock; this can also lead to greater carbon sequestration. However, significant gaps in knowledge on drylands carbon sequestration potential remain a challenge.

An excerpt from: Gender Equality Strategy and Action Plan to Combat Drought and Desertification in the three Northern Regions of Ghana (GESAP), developed in 2011 by the Environmental Protection Agency, in conjunction with the Ghana Environmental Management Project.

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2. Project Design

Within the framework given by your agency or organization, or sometimes by your funder's request, you will need to identify objectives and the activities that will enable you to achieve expected results. The Project Design stage is the most important when it comes to integrating the gender dimension into the project. You can apply all the information obtained from your gender analysis in order to plan based on real information concerning the lives of the male and female beneficiaries.

When you are choosing expected results and activities for your project, answer the following questions to ensure that gender equality is mainstreamed.

1. What is the current situation of men and women in the area of your planned intervention?2. Will the proposed project contribute to existing inequalities among men and women?3. Does the proposed project break down or challenge existing inequalities among men and

women?4. Will the proposed project change the perceptions or stereotypes about men and women

and their roles in any way?5. What options should be considered to strengthen a gender perspective?6. Will the proposed project contribute to women's empowerment? If not, is there place for

an allied intervention that will contribute to empowerment, so as not to reinforce the disparity between men and women?

Once you have decided on all the expected results and activities for your project, you can summarize them in a Logic Model:

· The Ultimate Outcome is the overall goal of the project, which contributes to national-level aims and policies.

· The Intermediate Outcomes are the expected results related to changes in your organization or group, and its systems or processes.

· The Immediate Outcomes are the expected results related to changes in individuals, their knowledge and awareness, skills or abilities, or access.

· Outputs (or completed activities) lead to outcomes.

Therefore it is important that you implement your activities as planned, based on gender analysis. If you do, you will certainly achieve your expected results.

The expected results and activities listed in the logic model below are examples for you. Depending on the funds you have, you may want to implement only a few of the activities represented in this Logic Model.

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Project Logic Model: Gender

and management of vegetative cover

Theme

MANAGEMENT OF VEGETATIVE COVER

Ultimate Outcome

Strengthened mainstreaming of gender considerations in issues relating to community-based activities necessary for the reduction and reversing of land degradation and desertification. Gender Equality Strategy and Action Plan

↑

↑

↑

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Intermediate Outcomes

Improved women’s access to fuel wood and fertile land.

Improved women’s involvement in decision making on vegetative cover management at the community level

↑

↑

↑

↑

↑

↑

↑

Immediate Outcomes

Increased capacity of women and women’s groups to implement soil conservation and vegetative cover management practices

Improved ability of opinion leaders to take progressive decisions based on their consideration of the gender issues implicated in vegetative cover management

↑

↑

↑

↑

↑

↑

↑

Type of

Activities to be implemented in

order to achieve results

Community wood lots established for women

Farmers trained to practice agro-forestry which entails the growing of crops and trees (economic trees) on the same piece of land

More women trained in the

preparation and application of compost manure to increase women’s access to fertile land Train women in row planting to increase yield per unit area

Train women in mixed cropping to improve yield of women’s field

Train women and men in group formation and dynamics with equal participation to access loans for nursery establishment

Train both men and women on production, processing and utilization of soya beans

Sensitize land owners to allocate fertile lands

not only to men but to women as well

Identify and train nomadic

herdsmen with the

intention of having equal fertile lands for both

men and women

Communities assisted to establish protected grazing lands for shepherd boys

and girls in

the community

Communities sensitized to establish and protect woodlots to meet the fuel needs of women

Communities, opinion leaders, women and men sensitized on the importance of women’s input in decision-making on vegetative cover management

Awareness sessions held on women’s land right issues

The activities of illegal miners are registered, sensitized and monitored to reduce indiscriminate mining activities and pollution of water bodies

Formulation and enforcement of byelaws

to

guide use of herbs by men and women; to

guide the use of woodlots by men and women

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and other leguminous crops with the

intention of soil

conservation

Train both men and women on equal participation in bush

fire prevention and

management

Sensitize men and women on effective collaboration for

enhanced vegetation management

Provision of equal financial

support to both men and

women

for fuel wood and charcoal production; to

regulate bush burning by men, women and

children

3. Project Implementation

Implementation is the major phase in the project cycle, when plans are transformed into reality. Implementation involves using your resources to implement activities in order toachieve the expected results.

When you are implementing the activities for your project, answer the following questions to ensure that gender equality is mainstreamed. 1. Are women and men benefiting from the project? In the same way or different ways? 2. Are some women or men negatively impacted by the project?3. Have gender relations (power and control) of women and men changed as a result of the

project? Have gender gaps been reduced?4. Are new gender issues of inequity emerging within the project?5. Are there new external factors affecting gender relations besides the project? Are they

positive or negative?6. Are women and men both supportive of the project, or do they wish to change it? Who?

Why? How?

What follows are some case studies about project activities. Ideally, it would be great if your staff and stakeholders, including community members, could visit the communities described in the stories. However, these case studies are the next best thing to visiting. Each case study shows how women and men are:

· participating in the project· sharing project resources· sharing project benefits· changing their lives together· experiencing empowerment.

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After each story, there are a number of questions to answer. Read (or translate) the story to your staff, stakeholders or community members. Lead the discussion based on the questions listed after the story. This will assist your staff and stakeholders to visualize the types of changes that they should expect, and allow them to discuss the implications for their own work and lives. They may want to implement a similar project. Similarly, their discussion of the story may inspire them with new ideas for their own projects.

Your staff and stakeholders should understand that exciting things related to gender and sustainable land management are happening in northern Ghana. They too can be part of it! They can transform gender relations through sustainable land management projects!

Fian is a well-known community located 20 miles to the north of Wa, the Upper West regional capital. The community's importance is due to the fact that it runs one of the most popular herbal clinics in the country. Supporting and supplying the basic inputs for the herbarium is a 130 hectare community reserve. Apart from its herbs, the reserve has cash crops such as dawadawa and Shea nuts. It also has 10 beehives.

The community has a 50,000 capacity nursery that raises seedlings for enrichment planting in the reserve and also for supply to outlying communities. When the seedling- raising period arrives, the community procures the necessary material including, black soil, seeds, seed-bags and water.

Men and Women Sharing Roles: The filling of the seed bags with black soil and the sowing of seeds are done by men and women together. Water is then fetched from the nearby stream by women, while the watering of the filled seed-bags is done by the men. At enrichment and planting time at the herbarium and other designated spots, women carry the seedlings on their heads to the area. Men then dig the pits and together with the women, and the seedlings are sown. Both groups fence around the seedlings and monitor their growth.

The community has fashioned their own rules and regulations for the management of the herbarium. For successful management of the herbarium, the community has formed a 30 member Community Environmental Management Committee in consultation with the Environmental Protection Agency and Ghana Environmental Management Project. The committee is composed of 20 women and 10 men.

The Fian community has a 50 person volunteer fire squad made up of 30 men and 20 women. In October of each year, community members – men and women alike – move with their cutlasses and hoes to the 130 hectare reserve and create a fire belt around it. When the exercise is completed, the women brew pito (a local beverage) and cook rice which is then brought to the village square for the annual feast celebrating the annual harvest. Both women and men contribute equal amounts of money for the feast.

Case Study 1: Fian community adopts environmentally friendly methods to improve on their health and well being

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The community has vigorously embraced the use of compost on their fields for a richer harvest. To further this aim, 30 farm families have constructed compost pits. Men construct the pits, while the women pile in the necessary compost material.

Livelihood Alternatives: The women of Fian used to harvest wood for fire and making charcoal before the reserve was created. They however realized that this was degrading their forest cover with its attendant environmental consequences. To arrest the situation, the community prepared and presented a successful proposal to engage the Fian women's group in operating a shea-butter making factory. The women also rear small ruminants as a livelihood alternative.

Report by Kwaku Baawine and Jeffrey Makin, REMC: Upper West Region

Questions for Discussion: 1. Name and categorize the different types of herbs that are grown in the herbarium. Which

herbs are considered most valuable? What are their uses? Are women responsible for all the herbs in the herbarium, or do men also have specific responsibilities?

2. Who runs the herbal clinic? What types of herbs are sold there and what are they used for? Which herbs are the most expensive? Do women or men have control over those more costly herbs?

3. Within the cycle of the herbariam, what are women's and men's traditional roles? Do women have particular roles, such as indigenous knowledge or special skills?

4. What new skills did women learn? 5. The Community Environmental Management Committee (CEMC) is composed of 20

women and 10 men. Why are there more men than women in the committee? Does the difference in number suggest that women are more interested in environmental management, or have more to gain from the activities? Are there other reasons?

6. How do you think women and men worked together to make the project a success? 7. What other environment-friendly activities promote women's involvement in

sustainable and alternative livelihoods? 8. How does the story show that gender roles have changed? How have the roles and tasks

changed? Has the way the community values those roles and tasks changed?

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Case Study 2: Everyone a Fire Fighter!

Case Study 3: "The land belongs to the future."

Kanpuo in Upper West Region has managed to transform its degraded land into a paradise by stopping bush burning, and using a variety of soil and water conservation techniques.

All of these changes are coordinated by Kanpuo's Environmental Management Committee. Both women and men are on the committee, as leaders and members. Some of the most influential leaders are women.

Apart from expanding their water and soil conservation activities, the committee's major role is to monitor bush burning and ensure that all their good work is not ruined. All members of the committee are fire fighters, and they have recruited as many men and women of the community as are able to assist. Fire outbreaks were more frequent in the recent past. However, now that the neighbouring communities are benefitting from the grass and wood on their land, they are copying Kanpuo. Questions for Discussion:

1. What are women's and men's traditional roles in fighting fires? Do women have particular roles, such as indigenous knowledge or special skills?

2. What new skills did women learn? 3. How does the story show that gender roles have changed? How have the roles and tasks

changed? Has the way the community values those roles and tasks changed? 4. How do you think women and men worked together to make firefighting a success?

Since the community of Zaazi in Northern Region stopped bush burning, it has more fruit trees and more grass. The grass is good because it provides food for the farm animals, and in turn they provide the manure needed to fertilize the crops. It used to be that in the dry season, there was nothing for the animals to eat. But now, the animals can graze freely. Even animals from neighbouring villages come to graze in Zaazi.

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To replace the trees that were burned, the women have planted fast-growing trees, like acacia and eucalyptus, in wood lots. They are used for firewood. Farm animals also like to come to enjoy the shade and eat the leaves.

They have also planted trees that bear fruits and nuts, like cashew, for domestic and commercial purposes, and teak trees for building and roofing houses. When men and women go to the farm, they can take a rest under the shade of the trees. They say that it's just like harmattan – cool and comfortable.

Once the burning stopped, it was not just grass that started to grow, but also indigenous vegetables and herbs, like alefu and ayoyo. Those plants had disappeared and were thought to be extinct, but they came back plentifully. Medicinal herbs are also growing. There are still a number of people in the village who are specialists in herbal medicine, and have resumed their practices. The number of clients has increased because they know that certain ailments can be treated with plants. For example, if someone has a stomach ache, all they have to do is chew the bark from a certain tree and he is relieved.

Also, women started to plant other vegetables like okro, pepper and onion. Having more herbs and vegetables means that families enjoy more variety and flavours in their soups and stews. Men say that their food is delicious. The women say that because they consume so many vegetables now, they have more energy.

Questions for Discussion:

1. What are women's and men's traditional roles and responsibilities for · wood lots · economic trees · indigenous vegetables and herbs

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· medicinal herbs · local and exotic vegetables?

Do women have particular roles, such as indigenous knowledge or special skills?2. What new skills did women learn? 3. What new channels for community involvement do you think opened up for women? 4. What environment-friendly activities promoted women's involvement in sustainable and

alternative livelihoods? 5. How does the story show that gender roles have changed? How have the roles and tasks

changed? Has the way the community values those roles and tasks changed?

In 2007, Zaazi in Northern Region became a Ghana Environmental Management Project (GEMP) community, because for the past 10 years, they proved that they had stopped bush burning.

They noticed that when they burned the bush, the trees and grasses would die and the insects would disappear. There was no grass for the animals. There was no grass to make thatch for their roofs.

An NGO called Simli Aid introduced them to the idea that bush burning may be causing more problems than it was solving. They discussed the idea during literacy classes. Simli gave them information about the effects of bush burning. Simli also led them through the series of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) exercises. The people saw that some of their problems were related to bush burning, and they took action to stop it. The women agreed that they should stop burning because the burning destroyed their shea nut trees.

The men agreed to stop burning because their crops were not doing well and they needed better soil.

Not everyone agreed at first, but the men and women of the community put rules into place and ensured that everyone followed them. If someone starts burning, he or she will be charged 20 Ghana Cedis as a fine. They will also be sent to the Chief's Palace for punishment.

Stopping the burning has changed the old way of life. There are some disadvantages to stopping bush burning. There are not as many left-over pieces of wood on the ground for fire wood. This means that women have to look for other solutions to find fire wood. There are lots of snakes in the grass. When women are picking fruits, they can be bitten. They do not have boots to protect their feet. The fire chased animals out of the bush, so that they can be easily caught and brought home for food. The young men miss burning because it allowed them to enjoy hunting.

Even though there are some disadvantages, the advantages of stopping bush burning have far outweighed them. Now Zaazi is well-known as a GEMP project. It has received awards for stopping bush burning. More importantly, it has experienced an increase in crop yields and shea nut harvest.

Case Study 4: The day bush burning stopped in Zaazi

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Over and above the benefits to people's livelihoods, they have also experienced some social changes. Because it was so important for everyone to make decisions about bush burning together, men's and women's participation in literacy classes has evolved into decision making at community meetings. Since the issue of bush burning has been addressed, men and women decided that they could address other needs. For example, Zaazi has opened a day care centre for small children. Also, the men in Zaazi have agreed to practice family planning because they now understand the need for child spacing, and for deciding together with their wives how many children they should have. Finally, they now realize the importance of education for their future. If they have too many children, they will not be able to send all of them to school. For the men and women of Zaazi, solving problems of the environment has led to solving some of their social problems.

Questions for Discussion:

1. What information do you think Simli gave the people of Zaazi about bush burning? 2. Which PRA exercises did Simli do with the community to look at the effects of bush

burning? 3. How do PRA exercises involve women, men, youth and children? Why is it important to

involve everyone? 4. Do you think that the plan to stop bush burning was potentially more beneficial to women

or more harmful to them in the long run? Why?5. What new skills did women learn? 6. What new channels for community involvement opened up for women? 7. The story says that as a result of their success with the environment project, men and

women decided to tackle some of their social issues. Which three initiatives did they start? What do they have in common? Is there a specific connection between the environmental and social activities? What are men's and women's interests in these activities? Do you think that they agree on the value of these activities to the community?

8. How do you think women and men worked together to make the project a success? 9. How does the story show that gender roles have changed? How have the roles and tasks

changed? Has the way the community values those roles and tasks changed?

The progress of a project has to be monitored to ensure that the expected results are happening. Think about some of the changes you read about in the case studies and in your own projects.Many of the changes are related to the environment and, at the same time, related to gender.

An important way of monitoring whether a project has mainstreamed gender and transformed gender relations is to use gender-sensitive indicators. Gender-sensitive indicators will let you know whether there are changes in gender relations – women's and men's dynamics of power and control. Here are some features of gender relations that should change after implementing a project on gender and sustainable land use:

· participation in projects and committees· awareness, knowledge, skills · decision-making powers

4. Project Monitoring

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· roles and responsibilities in the household, community and leadership· how roles, tasks, resources are valued· access to and control of project resources and benefits· access to and control of household and community resources and benefits.

All this information should be sex-disaggregated, so that differences between men and women can be highlighted and inequities addressed. Sex-disaggregated data presents information separately for women and men, and as required, boys and girls.

When you are monitoring a project, answer the following questions to ensure that gender equality is mainstreamed.

1. Does the monitoring plan invite input and feedback from women and men?2. Are generated data, analysis and reports sex-disaggregated?3. Are gender indicators effectively used and assessed?4. Does monitoring consider both women's and men's roles (even if those roles are

different)?5. Is progress toward objectives and expected results related to men or women on track?6. Have any gender issues of inequity arisen that were not identified at the project design

stage? If so, how can theybe addressed?

Here are some examples of gender-sensitive indicators for gender and management of vegetative cover. You can use these and others that you develop to assess whether your project is on track to changing gender relations, roles, responsibilities and how they are valued.

Indicators

Gender-sensitive indicators for Gender and Management of Vegetative Cover 1. # of acres of land prevented from bush burning by men and women 2. # of acres of land protected from bushfires

3. # of women’s groups who are engaged in soil conservation practices

4. # of women’s groups who are engaged in vegetative cover management practices

5. # of acres of land being conserved through soya beans and other leguminous crops

6. # and types of herbs protected

7.

# of women-owned woodlots established

8.

# of acres of woodlots established by men and women

9.

level of access of fuelwood by men and women

10.

# of acres of fertile lands allocated to women by land owners

11.

# of women who have access to at least 2.5 acres of fertile land

12.

unit area planted in row by women

13.

# of women who are members of the REMCs, DEMCs and CEMCs

14.

# of women who are involved in and consulted by opinion leaders on decisions about woodlot establishment and management

15.

# and type of gender issues reflected in the decisions of regional, district and community-level committees

16.

#

of maxi bags/acres harvested by household women

17.

level of income of men and women involved in nursery establishment

18.

#

of men and women incorporating soyabean flour products into their dishes

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5. Project Evaluation

Monitoring and Evaluation Tools

At the end of your project, you will want to evaluate whether it has been successful – in achieving its goals for sustainable land use, and toward gender equality. Evaluation should be as systematic and objective as possible. Therefore, tools are developed to collect gender-sensitive and sex-disaggregated data. These tools can be used at the end of the project, but also at the beginning (baseline) and mid-point to assess progress over time.

Here are some examples of gender-sensitive tools for gender and management of vegetative cover. If you use these tools at the beginning, middle and end of your project, you will see changes in how men and women have access to and control over resources; and in their roles and responsibilities. You may also discover some changes in gender relations that you did not expect! You should determine whether these are positive and progressive changes, or negative and counter-productive. When it comes time to designing a new phase of your project or even a brand new project, take these lessons into account to ensure that your project will implement all activities necessary to promote gender equality.

A Household Survey Questions

B Focus Group Interview Questions with Women involved in the project1. Are you soya bean farms going well? Have average yields per acre changed? Why?

What are you doing to improve your yields?2. What do you think about women's participation in community bush burning activities in

this community? Has your participation made a difference? 3. What do you think about women's access to fertile land in this community? Do women

have the access to fertile lands that they need for their economic activities? If no, what can we do about it?

C. Focus Group Interview with Men involved in the project 1. How are men and women involved in activities of the community nursery project?Have

women taken on roles that you did not expect them to? Have you taken on roles that you did not expect to? Are there advantages to working together with women on the nursery project? If so, what are they?

2. How are decisions taken on income realized from the community nursery project? Is income shared between men and women? Who is responsible for making decisions about finances? Do both women and men benefit from the income generated from the nursery? On what types of things do men and women spend their money?

1 What are the changes in your traditional roles as men and women?

2 What improvements have you seen in the vegetative cover and how has it

imparted on your income as men and women?

3 How many acres of land have you been allocated as a woman?

4 What is the acreage of your soybean farm?

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Do you incorporate soybean into your dishes?

6

What is the difference in walking

distance in search of firewood? Do you save

more time now than before?

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3. What do you think about women being allocated land for their personal farms? Is it fair for women to have their own land? Why do women have difficulty gaining access to land? What are some of the solutions for women having access to and control over their own land?

D Group interview with CEMC Executive1. What measures have you put in place for the involvement of women and men in

the decisions to stop bush burning?2. How are benefits from the nursery project shared among men and women in your

community?3. How has the protection of the excessive use of herbs in this community benefited

men and women?4. How are rules for the use of the sacred grove and prevention of bush burning

formulated and enforced in this community? What is the involvement of both men and women in enforcement?

5. What are the criteria for being a member of the CEMC? What measures are in place to ensure gender equity?

E Observation Guide at Project Site (List of what to look for)1. The distances to the project sites (soya bean farms, sacred groves, woodlots,

herbarium, farms, dam etc.)2. Men and women working together on the sites and what each is doing3. Women harvesting fuel wood /dawadawa/shea nut from sacred grove4. Men and women holding meetings and taking decisions together on the use of

income from the community nursery project5. Women working on their personal soya bean farms and woodlots.

This is the end of this module. Best wishes as you mainstream gender, empowering women and men in sustainable land management projects.

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