The document describes a project in Ghana that aims to mainstream gender equality in environmental management. It provides guidance on integrating gender considerations throughout the project cycle, from problem identification to evaluation. Examples of gender issues in vegetative cover management are given, such as how deforestation increases women's workload. The importance of involving both men and women in project design, implementation and monitoring is emphasized. Case studies show communities successfully adopting joint approaches between men and women to tackle environmental challenges.

1. Ghana Environmental Management Project (GEMP)
How to Mainstream
Gender Equality in
Projects
Management of Vegetative Cover
MODULE 5
Management of Vegetative CoverManagement of Vegetative Cover
ProjectsProjects

3. IntroductiontotheModule
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 andcommunityleaders.
ThemodulescovereachofthesixthemesoftheGhanaEnvironmentalManagementProject:
Module1: Landuse andsoilmanagement
Module2: Wildlifeandbiodiversityconservation
Module3: Energyresourcemanagement
Module4: Waterresourcemanagement
Module5: Managementofvegetativecover
Module6: Alternativeandsustainablelivelihoods.
Contents
Introduction to the Module....................................................................................................................2
Gender and Management of Vegetative Cover ......................................................................................4
1. Problem Identification ................................................................................................................4
Gender Issues..................................................................................................................................4
2. Project Design .............................................................................................................................6
Project Logic Model: Gender and management of vegetative cover ...........................................7
3. Project Implementation ..............................................................................................................8
Case Study 1: Fian community adopts environmentally friendly methods to improve on their
health and well being ......................................................................................................................9
Case Study 2: Everyone a Fire Fighter! ........................................................................................11
Case Study 3: "The land belongs to the future."..........................................................................11
Case Study 4: The day bush burning stopped in Zaazi .................................................................13
4. Project Monitoring....................................................................................................................14
Indicators......................................................................................................................................15
5. Project Evaluation.....................................................................................................................16
Monitoring and Evaluation Tools..................................................................................................16
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4. Despite many agencies' commitment to gender equality, gender mainstreaming in project cycle
managementhas been limited. Some pay attentionto 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
appropriategenderanalysistoolsandkeygenderquestions.
Eachmodulecontainsadviceonhow tomainstreamgenderthroughtheprojectcycle:
1. ProblemIdentification
2. ProjectDesign
3. ProjectImplementation
4. ProjectMonitoring
5. ProjectEvaluation
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
projectswithstakeholdersandcommunities.
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5. GenderandManagementofVegetativeCover
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
transformingexistinggenderrelationsofpowerandcontrol.
When you are identifying a problem related to gender and sustainable land management, answer
thefollowingquestionstoensurethatgenderequalityismainstreamed.
1. Has relevant gender information, especially socio‐economic information, been
identifiedandcollectedso thatitcanbeincludedindiscussions aboutprojectdesign?
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
homogeneousunits.)
3. Have gender specialists (in the CBO or NGO, for example) and representatives of
women's organizationswithinthecommunitybeenconsulted?
4. Have both men and women been involved in problem identification (even if the ultimate
problemrecognizedaffectsonesex morethantheother)?
Here is a list of some of the issues of gender inequity (gender issues) related to management of
vegetativecover:
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 becauseoftheextrawork involved,girls'educationisnegativelyaffected.
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
affectstheirhealthandeducation.
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
theirstandardofliving.
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
fertileland.
5. Illegal mining activities affect the vegetative cover and leads to the pollution of water
bodies,makingwomenandgirlswalklongerdistancestoaccesspotablewater.
6. Representation and participation of women in District and Community Environmental
Management Committees community-level bodies are often low, limiting their input in
decisionmaking.
7. Insecure land and tree tenure prevents women from investing in woodlots, making it
difficultforthemtobepartofthevegetativecovermanagementsystem.
8. Extinction of medicinal plants affects women's ability to use that indigenous knowledge
andpracticestokeepfamilymembershealthy.
1. ProblemIdentification
GenderIssues
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6. 9. Food Insecurity, due to the low yields from degraded lands, puts stress on women to feed
theirfamilies.Malnutritionmayaffectbothmenandwomen,butespeciallychildren.
10. Because of shortages of food and limitations to their livelihood, men migrate to find
alternativesourcesofincomeleavingwomenoverloadedwithfamilyresponsibilities.
The following is a short description of the major gender issues of inequity related to
managementofvegetativecover:
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
regenerationofthevegetativecoverofmarginallandsandotherun-croppedlands.
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
landresourcemanagementplansisrecommended.
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
mentrekoverlongdistancestocollectgrass (thatch)forroofing.
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
drylandscarbonsequestrationpotentialremainachallenge.
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 ProtectionAgency, in conjunction with the Ghana Environmental Management
Project.
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7. 2. ProjectDesign
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
femalebeneficiaries.
When you are choosing expected results and activities for your project, answer the following
questionstoensurethatgenderequalityismainstreamed.
1. Whatisthecurrentsituationofmenandwomenintheareaofyourplannedintervention?
2. Willtheproposedprojectcontributetoexistinginequalitiesamongmenandwomen?
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
andtheirrolesinanyway?
5. Whatoptionsshouldbeconsideredtostrengthenagenderperspective?
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
disparitybetweenmenandwomen?
Once you have decided on all the expected results and activities for your project, you can
summarizetheminaLogicModel:
· The Ultimate Outcome is the overall goal of the project, which contributes to national-
levelaimsandpolicies.
· The Intermediate Outcomes are the expected results related to changes in your
organizationorgroup,anditssystems orprocesses.
· The Immediate Outcomes are the expected results related to changes in individuals, their
knowledgeandawareness,skillsorabilities,oraccess.
· Outputs(orcompletedactivities)leadtooutcomes.
Therefore it is important that you implement your activities as planned, based on gender
analysis. Ifyoudo,youwillcertainlyachieveyourexpectedresults.
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
representedinthisLogicModel.
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8. 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
↑ ↑ ↑ ↑
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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9. 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. ProjectImplementation
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
expectedresults.
When you are implementing the activities for your project, answer the following questions to
ensurethatgenderequalityis mainstreamed.
1. Arewomenandmenbenefitingfromtheproject? Inthesamewayordifferentways?
2. Aresomewomenormennegativelyimpactedbytheproject?
3. Have gender relations (power and control) of women and men changed as a result of the
project?Havegendergapsbeenreduced?
4. Arenewgenderissues ofinequityemergingwithintheproject?
5. Are there new external factors affecting gender relations besides the project? Are they
positiveornegative?
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 womenandmenare:
· participatingintheproject
· sharingprojectresources
· sharingprojectbenefits
· changingtheirlivestogether
· experiencingempowerment.
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10. 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
inspirethemwithnewideasfortheirown 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
cantransformgenderrelationsthroughsustainablelandmanagementprojects!
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
andSheanuts.Italsohas10beehives.
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
andwater.
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.
Bothgroups fencearoundtheseedlingsandmonitortheirgrowth.
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
committeeis composedof20womenand10men.
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
contributeequalamountsofmoneyforthefeast.
Case Study 1: Fian community adopts environmentally friendly methods to
improveontheirhealthandwellbeing
8

11. 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,
whilethewomenpileinthenecessarycompostmaterial.
LivelihoodAlternatives: 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 environmentalconsequences. To arrest the situation, the community prepared
and presented a successful proposal to engage the Fian women's group in operating a shea-
buttermakingfactory.Thewomenalsorearsmallruminantsasalivelihoodalternative.
Reportby Kwaku Baawineand JeffreyMakin,REMC: UpperWest Region
Questions forDiscussion:
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
theherbsintheherbarium,ordomenalsohavespecificresponsibilities?
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
morecostlyherbs?
3. Within the cycle of the herbariam, what are women's and men's traditional roles? Do
womenhaveparticularroles,suchas indigenousknowledgeorspecialskills?
4. Whatnewskillsdidwomenlearn?
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,orhavemoretogainfromtheactivities? Arethereotherreasons?
6. How doyouthinkwomenandmenworkedtogethertomaketheprojectasuccess?
7. What other environment-friendly activities promote women's involvement in
sustainableandalternativelivelihoods?
8. How does the story show that gender roles have changed? How have the roles and tasks
changed? Has thewaythecommunityvaluesthoserolesandtasks changed?
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12. CaseStudy2: EveryoneaFireFighter!
CaseStudy3: "Thelandbelongstothefuture."
Kanpuo in Upper West Region has managed to transform its degraded land into a paradise by
stoppingbush burning,andusingavarietyofsoilandwaterconservationtechniques.
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
arefirefighters,andtheyhaverecruitedasmanymenandwomenofthecommunityas areabletoassist.
Fire outbreaks were more frequent in the recent past. However, now that the neighbouring communities
arebenefittingfromthegrass andwood ontheirland,theyarecopyingKanpuo.
Questions forDiscussion:
1. What are women's and men's traditional roles in fighting fires? Do women have particular roles,
such asindigenousknowledgeorspecialskills?
2. Whatnewskillsdidwomenlearn?
3. How does the story show that gender roles have changed? How have the roles and tasks
changed? Has thewaythecommunityvaluesthoserolesandtasks changed?
4. How doyouthinkwomenandmenworked togethertomakefirefightingasuccess?
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
tograzeinZaazi.
10

13. 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
enjoytheshadeandeattheleaves.
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
barkfromacertaintreeandheisrelieved.
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
vegetablesnow,theyhavemoreenergy.
Questions forDiscussion:
1. Whatarewomen's andmen's traditionalrolesandresponsibilitiesfor
· wood lots
· economictrees
· indigenousvegetablesandherbs
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14. · medicinalherbs
· localandexoticvegetables?
Do womenhaveparticularroles,suchas indigenousknowledgeorspecialskills?
2. Whatnewskillsdidwomenlearn?
3. Whatnewchannelsforcommunityinvolvementdoyouthinkopenedupforwomen?
4. What environment-friendly activities promoted women's involvement in sustainable and
alternativelivelihoods?
5. How does the story show that gender roles have changed? How have the roles and tasks
changed? Has thewaythecommunityvaluesthoserolesandtaskschanged?
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
theirroofs.
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
wererelatedtobush burning,andtheytookactiontostopit.
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
GhanaCedisasafine. TheywillalsobesenttotheChief'sPalaceforpunishment.
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
homeforfood. Theyoungmenmissburningbecauseitallowedthemtoenjoyhunting.
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
nutharvest.
CaseStudy4: ThedaybushburningstoppedinZaazi
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15. 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
childrenthey should have. Finally, they now realizethe importanceof educationfor 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 forDiscussion:
1. WhatinformationdoyouthinkSimligavethepeopleofZaaziaboutbush burning?
2. Which PRA exercises did Simli do with the community to look at the effects of bush
burning?
3. How do PRAexercises involve women, men, youth and children? Why is it important to
involveeveryone?
4. Do you think that the plan to stop bush burning was potentially more beneficial to women
ormoreharmfultotheminthelongrun? Why?
5. Whatnewskillsdidwomenlearn?
6. Whatnewchannelsforcommunityinvolvementopenedupforwomen?
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 doyouthinkwomenandmenworkedtogethertomaketheprojectasuccess?
9. How does the story show that gender roles have changed? How have the roles and tasks
changed? Has thewaythecommunityvaluesthoserolesandtaskschanged?
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
projectongenderandsustainablelanduse:
· participationinprojectsandcommittees
· awareness,knowledge,skills
· decision-makingpowers
4. ProjectMonitoring
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16. · rolesandresponsibilitiesinthehousehold,communityandleadership
· how roles,tasks,resourcesarevalued
· accesstoandcontrolofprojectresourcesandbenefits
· accesstoandcontrolofhouseholdandcommunityresourcesandbenefits.
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
separatelyforwomenandmen,andasrequired,boys andgirls.
When you are monitoring a project, answer the following questions to ensure that gender
equalityis mainstreamed.
1. Does themonitoringplaninviteinputandfeedbackfromwomenandmen?
2. Aregenerateddata,analysisandreportssex-disaggregated?
3. Aregenderindicatorseffectivelyusedandassessed?
4. Does monitoring consider both women's and men's roles (even if those roles are
different)?
5. Is progress towardobjectivesandexpectedresultsrelatedtomenorwomenontrack?
6. Have any gender issues of inequity arisen that were not identified at the project design
stage? Ifso, how cantheybeaddressed?
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
ontracktochanginggenderrelations,roles,responsibilitiesandhow theyarevalued.
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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17. 5. ProjectEvaluation
MonitoringandEvaluationTools
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
atthebeginning(baseline)andmid-pointtoassess progress overtime.
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
activitiesnecessarytopromotegenderequality.
A Household SurveyQuestions
B FocusGroup InterviewQuestions withWomeninvolvedintheproject
1. Are you soya bean farms going well? Have average yields per acre changed? Why?
Whatareyou doingtoimproveyour yields?
2. What do you think about women's participation in community bush burning activities in
thiscommunity? Has yourparticipationmadeadifference?
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
canwedo aboutit?
C. FocusGroup Interviewwith Meninvolvedintheproject
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? Ifso, whatarethey?
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 whattypesof thingsdo menandwomenspend theirmoney?
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?
5 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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18. 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
controlovertheirown land?
D Group interviewwith CEMC Executive
1. What measures have you put in place for the involvement of women and men in
thedecisionstostopbush 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
menandwomen?
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
andwomeninenforcement?
5. What are the criteria for being a member of the CEMC? What measures are in
placetoensuregenderequity?
E ObservationGuideatProjectSite(List ofwhat tolookfor)
1. The distances to the project sites (soya bean farms, sacred groves, woodlots,
herbarium,farms,dametc.)
2. Menandwomenworkingtogetheronthesitesandwhateachis doing
3. Womenharvestingfuelwood /dawadawa/sheanutfromsacredgrove
4. Men and women holding meetings and taking decisions together on the use of
incomefromthecommunitynurseryproject
5. Womenworkingontheirpersonalsoyabeanfarmsandwoodlots.
This is the end of this module. Best wishes as you mainstream gender, empowering women
and meninsustainablelandmanagementprojects.
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