Training of Trainers: Gender Mainstreaming in Community Forest Management Groups, Central Province, Zambia
Context
Zambia’s government has made notable progress in supporting efforts to cut GHG emissions from the forestry sector. There is strong momentum in Zambia for mitigation initiatives through subnational programmes and project-level actions, which should be further supported with technical assistance. Zambia is engaging communities at the local level as key climate actors. This strategy aligns with Zambia’s goal to involve local communities in forest governance and the expansion of community-based forestry, aiming to conserve forests and related climate and environmental services while also harnessing forests for economic growth and increased resilience. The necessary policy, legal, and institutional frameworks to enhance community involvement in forest management and climate actions have been put in place, including Zambia’s 2014 National Forestry Policy (now updated), the 2015 Forests Act, 2018 Regulations on Community Forest Management, 2018 National Guidelines on Community Forestry, policies promoting decentralisation, the 2021 Forest (carbon stocks management) regulation, and the 2015 National REDD+ strategy.
Although women in Zambia play a vital role in community forests management and natural resource governance, they often encounter obstacles to meaningful participation in decision-making processes. Gender inequalities limit women’s access to resources, training, and leadership roles, hindering their ability to contribute effectively to climate resilience efforts. Additionally, efforts to mainstream gender in Community Forest Management groups face significant obstacles, such as unresolved land tenure issues, weak governance structures, reliance on slash-and-burn agriculture, and insufficient inclusivity. Barriers to gender inclusivity in stakeholder engagement stem from a lack of gender-disaggregated data and community initiatives that fail to raise awareness or foster participation in Community Forest Management. Addressing these barriers is essential for advancing gender equality, promoting inclusiveness in climate initiatives, and ensuring women’s voices are integral to governance processes.
Goal of TA
The initiative’s technical assistance aims to raise awareness about the significance of gender-inclusive CFMGs, promote the long-term development of gender-responsive land tenure systems, strengthen governance and institutional frameworks related to CFM, and build stakeholder capacity to adopt sustainable gender mainstreaming practices in the forestry sector. It will focus on promoting gender equality by empowering women through targeted training, forming women’s groups, and ensuring their active involvement in decision-making processes related to community forestry management.
CAA Technical Assistance
The technical assistance will provide key stakeholders with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to: (1) monitor equity and inclusiveness within Community Forest Management groups in Zambia, (2) oversee social and environmental safeguards concerning benefit sharing in forestry projects, and (3) enhance governance structures and institutional frameworks vital for sustainable, gender-responsive community forestry management.
Key Activities:
- Project Foundation: An inception meeting and report to establish the project’s direction and framework.
- Assessment Phase: A comprehensive gender analysis examining inequality in Zambia’s forest management sector, including the root causes of gender disparities in land ownership and tenure, as well as identifying key gender issues in CFMGs.
- Capacity Building Design: Development of a Training of Trainers (ToT) programme specifically aimed at equipping CFMG members with gender-responsive climate monitoring skills and knowledge of social/environmental safeguards.
- Implementation Plan:
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- A write-shop with 10 participants in Lusaka to develop gender mainstreaming guidelines, covering women’s roles in forest conservation, land tenure security, inequality solutions, and regulatory frameworks.
- Development of training modules, procedures, and manuals based on the write-shop results.
- Delivery of a 30-person train of trainer workshop in Zambia’s Central Province to enhance CFMG governance and entrepreneurial skills.
- Knowledge Products: High-level guidelines outlining the climate benefits of CFMGs for government stakeholder engagement and communications.
