Empowering women for gender mainstreaming in conservation and poverty alleviation Dancille Mukakamari, ARECO Kigali, 4 November 2015

1. Empowering women for gender
mainstreaming in conservation and
poverty alleviation
Outline
Brief Presentation
of ARECO;
Overview of
approach used
Key Outcomes
Influencing Factors
Key lessons

2. Brief presentation of ARECO
• Association Rwandaise des Ecologistes(ARECO-RWANDA NZIZA)
• Founded in 1991, granted legal entity by the Ministry of
Justice in April 1992 and registered now at RGB;
• Seeks to promote a sound and pleasant environment for a
sustainable social and economic development;
• Extends its activities all over the country, with a special
emphasis on fragile zones and Protected Areas in
particular: Volcanoes, Nyungwe and Mukura-G NPs as well
as Rugezi Wetland..
• Main areas of intervention: CBNRM, EPA, Advocacy
• Member of IUCN and affiliated to other organisations
linking environ&poverty at international and local levels

3. Approach used
• Empowering women for gender
mainstreaming in biodiversity
conservation and CBNRM was
identified a good approach to
promote sustainability;
• Women, key actors(energy,
agriculture, water, …) but less
involved in decision making and
less benefits
• Poor consideration of gender
dimension in ENRM sector
• Enabling policy&institutional
framework (Const: at least 30%
in decision, right to land tenure
• ARECO has started the approach
from 2004 on Mukura Reserve and
has extended activities on volcanoes
and Nyungwe National Parks, Rugezi

4. Key outcomes
• Awareness and advocacy campaigns on potential role of women in
biodiversity conservation and ENR in PA zones;
• Trainings of women on cooperative management, small enterprises
based on forestry development including bamboo propagation and
processing, energy saving, rain water harvesting, beekeeping, …..
• Creation of women based cooperatives and increased number of
women in other CBOs;
• Self confidence, active participation and strong ownership of women
in programs&projects;
• Income generation from activities: bamboo(seedlings, sticks, crafts) ,
…

5. Rugezi Wet
Location

6. Influencing Factors
• Positive
 Enabling environment: priority at national and local levels
 Strong collaboration and partnership with other stakeholders:
Local Government, Women structures(NWC), Park Authorities and
partners in conservation(WCS,IGCP, REDO, CBOs, …)
 Support of men in the process;
 Credibility of women in conservation mechanisms;
 Linkages and synergies with other enabling institutions: REFADD.
GGCA, GWA, ANMF,….
• Negative
 Poverty , low education and multiple tasks that affect the
availability of women especially widows heading around 30% of
households;

7. Lessons learned
• Culture barriers and negative attitudes can be changed
into positive practices;
• Women based enterprises have served as model of
linking environment to poverty alleviation;
• Women are strong actors with long term vision, good
managers of projects and ownership capacity,
• Importance of partnerships and synergies;
• Need to share best practices and to use them for policy
advocacy