While decentralization is meant to empower rural people, gender inequalities in leadership persist. In Nepal, the more than 18,000 local Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs) present a test case with a focus on three independent variables: domestic policy, foreign aid, and male out-migration. This study finds that foreign aid projects and a non-binding directive for at least 50% female representation in CFUG executive committees are associated with increased women’s leadership while there is no link to male out-migration. This underscores the potential of domestic policy, even without strict enforcement, and the role of targeted foreign aid projects in promoting women’s leadership.
Blog » Promoting Women’s Leadership Under Environmental Decentralization: The Roles of Domestic Policy, Foreign Aid, and Population Change (2023)
Promoting Women’s Leadership Under Environmental Decentralization: The Roles of Domestic Policy, Foreign Aid, and Population Change (2023)
While decentralization is meant to empower rural people, gender inequalities in leadership persist. In Nepal, the more than 18,000 local Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs) present a test case with a focus on three independent variables: domestic policy, foreign aid, and male out-migration. This study finds that foreign aid projects and a non-binding directive for at least 50% female representation in CFUG executive committees are associated with increased women’s leadership while there is no link to male out-migration. This underscores the potential of domestic policy, even without strict enforcement, and the role of targeted foreign aid projects in promoting women’s leadership.