Policy that benefits women and men

CIFOR provides expert advice to support gender-equitable REDD+ policy in Indonesia

As Indonesia enters the implementation phase for REDD+(reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation), the country will begin measuring forest carbon stocks and distributing payments as an incentive for people to keep their forest lands intact. But if this is not done in a socially sensitive manner, it may reinforce norms that already marginalize women.

In Indonesia the Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection has a mandate to mainstream gender across all ministries. To support its efforts to do this in the forestry sector, the Ministry asked CIFOR to give background on issues surrounding gender and REDD+.

“We are using CIFOR’s research on gender issues in the forestry sector to reach out to more stakeholders, and look forward to testing the findings at the field level.”

The CIFOR team – which included researchers from CIFOR’s REDD+ Global Comparative Study, the REDD+ Benefit Sharing team and the Gender Integration Team – identified key areas where REDD+ processes should address gender issues. Crucially, gender analyses should be incorporated throughout, from policy design to implementation; gender disaggregated data should be collected at national and local levels; the goal of gender equity should be central to all REDD+ activities; and stakeholders at subnational levels should be involved to ensure equitable policies are implemented locally.

In collaboration with the Indonesian Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Protection and the Gender Task Force of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MOEF), CIFOR created a factsheet to inform the MOEF Directorate General of Climate Change, which led negotiations during COP 21. The factsheet was also disseminated at a side event.

Funding partners
  • CGIAR
  • Australian Aid
  • Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • European Union
  • Norad
  • UKAID
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