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I Proceedings of the 25th Annual Conference of 1 the Forestry Association of Nigeria held in I

i Maiduguri, Borncs Sbte

I I

k I 1 : I:, 19th - 23rd April, 1939

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3 5 /song, 8 f E Our Terrestial Resources Should we Development or Conserve?

3 6 Verumurnbe, Mi and 4maze, P S Non-T~mber Forest Resources ji\iTFRS) and Management of Wluda-Taye Foresr Reserve in Borno State, N~geria

3.7 Fameso, 73.: Rising to the Chailenges of Scale Insect Attack on Neem Trees in Nigeria

3.8 Agbelernoge, Adeyanju, Adedoyin, S.F. and Osifeso, I.A.: Plant Quarantine Services as an Agricultural and Forestry Development Strategy in Nigeria: A Performance Evaluation of its Communication Support Compound

3.9 Glajide, 0 . and Udo, E.O.: Conservation of Bio-Resources of the Remaining Areas of Rainforest in Nigeria: A Review of Appropriate Regeneration Method

3.10 Adesoye, P.O.: The Role of Models in the Conservation of Nigeria's Threatened Environment

3.1 1 Oluwafemi, O.A.: Fuel Value of Senna siamea Lam and its Potentiality for Protective Forestry

SUB-THEME 4: Role of Communities in Biodiversity Conservation

4.1 Papka, P.M.: Formulation of Policy and Legislation in Response to Emerging Concerns in Community Forestry in Nigeria

4.2 Abu, J.E. and Oguntala, A.B.: Factors Influencing Farmers Adoption.of Agroforestry in the Arid and Semi-Arid Zone of Nigeria

4.3 Udo, E.S.. Forest Biodivers~ty Conservation in Nigeria Through Community Forestry

4.4 Akachuku, A,E.: Prospects and Constraints of Biodiversity Conservation in South-Western Nigeria

4.5 Udo, E.O.: The Role of Nigerian Rainforest, on Nutrition of the Peaple: Implications on Biodiversity Conservation

4.6 . Azeez, 1.0. and Aiyedun, 0.J.: Gender Role in the Management, Consumption and Utiiization of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPS) (A Case Study of Gambari Forest Reserve, Oyo State)

4.7 Ozo-Eson, P.I.: The Sociology of Women's Participation in Nigerian Environmental Conservation -

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GEgDZR WCbE !lW TdE MANAGEMEST, CQNSUMPTQM AMP UnbaDTIIBN as; NOH TMBER FOREST PRODUCE (:siP?s) [A CASE SmDY OF

BASBAR1 FOREST RESERVE, QY0 STAT",) BY

1.0. AZEEZ and O.J. A3YEDUN. Forest Resources Management Deparifnesit,

University of ibadan, Nigerla.

Abstract Fremntly in many countrfes of the worbd, rural wmen are dil/ fhe camfakers anq users of forests. 73ey have a vita/ role in environmehtal menas&~&nf and developn;ent. ?3e& fuii participation is ffierefore essential to achieve sustainable mana~emnf. This paper investigated the role of ~ender in achieving sustainable manijpment, consewation and wtiiizafion of hn-Ember Forest Pmducts (NTFPs) vvith emphasis on kaves, lea& vegetables, firewood, snajls and medicinal plants. me E&Y@;I was canfed out at Gamban' Forest R e s e ~ e and SettIements surrounding the resewe viz Onigambari, Onipe, Clonde and Manu. TVee sets of puestionni,ires were used for the study - one each for ExfracZors, Utilizers, and Forests management prsonnef. A toid number of 180 questionnaires wen? administered to randomly selected respondents while 176 were returned. 41% of the quesd-iqnnaires retuned were from rrfiiizes, 29.4% ;ram exfmctors whilg 27% were &-urn the personnel involved in the management of the reserve. me stu@ ~vealec' that aRhough rnanagemnt, conse~ation, ufil'zafion and coileiecti~n of NTFPs h fhe reserve are not sex spciifc, a preferential treatment for men is obvious. ?his is m r e pronounced h the technical aspects of management, cclnsematjon and suskinable devejopment plainninig.

Introduction 1 Women's widely recognized role in forestry sector as labourers, collectors, uses and processors of Non-Timber Foresi Products (NTFP) and workers in small scale forest based enterprises, totally ignored their needs and priorities, as weil as their entitlements to benefits. WhPe women in developing nations normally have multiple,. often disproportionate responsibilities, they have !#Ale ownership or control over productive resources. This imbalance in the ownership and control over resources places women in a subordinate and disempowered position relative to men as they are forever dependent. Consequently, women and men have contrasting perceptions, priorities and goals and hence development interventions affect them differently.

Unequal gender relations interkvine and overlap wjth inequalities by caste, class and ethnicity. Issues of gender equ@ therefore cut across broader issues of equity between communities. Gender b used as'a socio-economic variable to

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enalyse nies, responsibiiig,ies, ce~straints and cpponunities invsived in nahrsi resourn management (Sigot, 4895), with prkicula~ reference to NTFPs.

lrntegration of gender, envirsnmeni and dewiopment is however an essential goal of scstainable development as it brings into sharp focus ?he nexus between equ@ and sus:ainabili.l.g in development. &4th $'eater concern and hence focus on environrnentai protection, 'there has been inccewng interest in the use to which our forests are pui. Mhile women and men alikk are recognized coiledors and users oidomesti~fores'r products, their being the target population in cammunity forestry projects is aiso not simbjeded to debate. 8ut until recently when women are playing active roie in suslainabie management offorest resources, forestry used to be, seen as a male dominated profession. 30% of today's forestrj professionais in the L1.S forest sewice (with 28,000 employees) and 20% oithe supervisors are women as compared lo 1% in 1976. In many couniries, women are moving into positions of responsibility in the private sector as well. They are rising executives in muiti-national wood and paper companies, in international environmental organisaiio&'i6d in trade associations (Madhu Sarin, 1998). Women in developing ~ountries i re also identifying sacred forests to meet hcusehold needs-forests that are off-lirnks to timber extraction. They are planting trees to stabilize soils and hillsides and produce more fcrest products. They are creating new nurseries and establishing green belts and shelter belts. It is clearthatgiven a chance, rural women In the world overwill act to consewe forest resources and ensure a long term supply of the fbrest goods and services they depend on everyday (Stephanie Caswell, 1988).

Evaently therefore, gender equality needs be iniegrated into participatory forest management from the stage of conceptualizing policy through to detailed planning, designing of institutional mechanisms to implementatim and monitoring and evaluation. Before this, the need to assess the present situation becomes imperative.

Methodology

Gambari Forest Reserve

Formerly tbadan District Council Forest Reserve, Gambari Ferest Reserve is divided into five series viz Onigambari, Busogboro, Onipe, Olonde and Mamu. The reserve lies between lat. 7.05 and 7.14N and long, 3.7 and 3.9E. itwas originally 12,535.6ha of which 1,036ha was de-reserved by the owner (Oyo State Government) for the estabiishment of Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria. Later in 1986, another 1,000 hectares was given to SAFA SPLINTS, Nigeria limited, lbadan for its industrial plantation. Presently, the working area in the reserve remains 10.429.6 hectares.

The settlements surrounding the reserve are typical rural settlements inhabited by women and men engaged in the collection and utilization of NTFPs such as wrapping leaves, leafy vegetables, fuel wood, snails, medicinal plan% etc. The

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present state 05 !Re resere , which has rendered it sacred for timber exploitation also, necessita",es the w e d 20 integrate gender with 2s sustainable and paeicipatoaj management spproach.

In 1997, survey was carried out with !he aid of structured og;en-end questionnsbre administered to mndrsmly se!ested ~spondents .

Results and Discussion The resuit shows Mat, apart from leaves, ail other NTFP investigated were exploited by both men women in the study area. Women are however more coJlectors than men. On ihe whcle 41.4% of the total collectors are men (Table 1).

Taale 1: NFTP Extracted by R e s p o ~ d e n : ~ in Garnban Forest R e s e r a

Source: Field Survey, 1997

Another set of questionnaire was administered on utilizers of NTFPs from the reserve. Among seventy four (74) utilizers interviewed, 18.9% are men while a seperate interview conducted among randomly selected personnel involved in the management of the resei-~e reveals that only 18.4% of them are women (Table 2)

Table 2: sex D~siribution among Respondents

Source: Field Survey, 1997

A further breakdown of the forty-nine (49) personnel interviewed shows that none of the women interviewed ars profzssionals (Table 3).

Probing into other contributions of rural women folk into household sustainance apart from their being ful!y in charge of domestic chores, revealed that 41.7% of respondent collectors contributed significantly to their family upkeep (Table 4).

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jcorastr/ Association o i Nigeria

TaOfe 3: Role of Respondents ;personnel) in gambari .Cores Reserve

Source Field Survey, i997

Table 4 Response o i Collectors' Contribution Towards their Famtly Upkeep

Source F!e!d Survey, 11397

The survey on prgduct utilized by rural dwellers surrounding Gambari Forest Reserve revealed that men do not use leaves, only women do (Table 5). Very few men lase vegetables.

Table 5 Produce Ut~l~zed by Respondents (Utilizers)

Source Field Survey, 1997

The major utilizers offuel are women. Of course, the reason forthis is not farfetched, most NTFPs are used for domestic house keeping chores, normally left in charge of women. As a matter of fact, the few male fuel wood utilizers are those running indigenous industrial devices such as baking oven.

The survey also looked at the literate level of respondent utilizers and extractors. This reveaied that majoiiy have no formal education, more than 60% have no post primary education and none of the extractors have a degree (table 6).

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Soun:,a: Field Suwey, 1 S?

The edudonal level of extradm and rstiiizers %!ewe is borne o& of the fat3 that the msewe workers at management level are not % ~ r n suvounding viflages. !t js only some ofthe Sjeidwokes and hired ~abours ortaungya farmers thatcome from the neighbourjng tiilages and n o & f ithen had more than pdmary schooi education.

Gender implJeation of Suwey Findings

fhe need to ensure the sustainability of natural resources especially forest resounz can not be over-emphasized because the survjvaf of man &e~ends on L Expioi&afion ~Rhout Cfue regard for the sustainability coupled with rapid Increases in popu have caused not oraly stress on Be environment, but aBo on existing sewbam.~. Wile majority of the ar2lfizer-s and collec?ors of NFPs are women, (probably due to their being Gfoser to nature and their survival hinging on forest products), very few women are inp/o!\$d in fhe management and ccansewation of the Garnbari Forest Reserve &om where they colieGt for utiiity. The categories of responden! where csns@ituts the majority are msay illiterates. This low level of literacy among women Is a very tough Impediment for meaninghi mwl deveiopmnt effort.

Taking into consideration tbe economic contribution of these women to their individual household monthly flabte J), the need to keep them abreasl on issues relating to the fate of their source of livelihcacd becomes highly neczssarpr. -

Tabla 7: Qualification of Respondents' CoMbLstion to Family Uptake

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So many women are integrally invoEved with the f~res:: - it is a part oiiheir jife and their liveiihocd-but for the majority, this is a pariicipatjon with few cRoEcss.

Although, a s u ~ o r y lcok at the survey findings from Gambari Forest 3;leserYe, may tempi om $0 conciude that management, conservation and utilization eifori is not gender biased, but a closer examination revealed a preferential treatment for men, most especiaily in the technical aspeds of management, conservation and sustalnabie deveiapment of the reserve (Table 3).

Recommendations That rural communities are increasingly looking up to the activities of their women f 0 i ~ consequent upon their male counterparis being lured to the dties, nemsslate the need to recognize their sign~ficant role In the management consemation and sustainable development of Gambari Forest Reserve. To achieve "iis 'heat, the following are recommended: 1. Education should be encouraged in the study area both forthe budding youths

and adults. Such educztion should not be gender biased and it should incorporaie Home Economics and Rational Resource Consewation Education in it's curricula.

2. Rural women in surrounding villages shouid'also be/encoursged to form associations and undertake initiatives which will not only contribute to the deveiopment and protection of these forests, but will also establkh them as independent decision maker.

References Asenath S. tom and J. Green (1389): Gender and Pdaturat Resources Management

in Africa: Towards a Common Ground. Gatriona P. (1 998): Reccgnizing the Role of women: Tropical Forest Updak,

199812. FA0 1984: Wornen in Forestry. brnasylva vo1.36-146,198/4. FAQ, Rome Madhu S. (1 998): Gender and Forestrj. Tropical Forest Update. 1998/2. Japan. Stephanie C. ( I 998): Sustainable Force. Wome,m in Forestry. 'PropicalForesZU@ak

1 99812. Japan.

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