Indigenous Women’s Rights

Recent reports highlight the crucial role of women from indigenous, Afro-descendent, and local communities in forest conservation. These women possess invaluable traditional knowledge and manage natural resources effectively. However, a report titled *Resilience and Resistance*, released on March 11, 2025, reveals that governments worldwide inadequately recognise their rights to land and forests. This analysis encompasses 35 countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, covering 80 per cent of global forests.

Legal Recognition and Barriers

The report indicates that laws protecting women’s rights are often weak or absent. The lack of legal recognition is the primary barrier preventing indigenous and local women from securing their land and forest rights. Article 8(j) of the Convention on Biological Diversity puts stress on the importance of indigenous knowledge in conservation efforts. Yet, many national laws fail to reflect global commitments effectively.

Community Forest Tenure Rights

Women constitute half of the 2.5 billion indigenous and rural populations reliant on collectively held lands. However, only five per cent of legal frameworks adequately protect women’s leadership rights in community forest management. A study of 104 community-based forest tenure regimes found that only two per cent allow women to vote in community decisions regarding forests.

Regional Trends and Progress

The report notes that despite legal reforms since 2016, African countries lag in securing women’s rights to forest tenure. In contrast, Asian countries show more progress, although Indonesia lacks equal constitutional protections for women. India’s *Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006* acknowledges forest land rights but faces implementation challenges. Positive examples exist, such as Odisha, where women-led Forest Protection Committees have emerged.

Challenges in Latin America

Latin America exhibits the lowest proportion of protections for indigenous, Afro-descendent, and local community women’s rights. Nevertheless, this region has not experienced legislative rollbacks in community women’s forest rights from 2016 to 2024. Indigenous women are vital custodians of traditional ecological knowledge, yet legal systems often overlook their rights.

Gender Equality and Conservation Policies

Many conservation policies neglect gender equality. Protected areas can restrict women’s access to resources without offering alternative livelihoods. Women may face eviction from their lands under conservation initiatives. The report also marks the dangers faced by women environmental defenders, who often encounter violence or criminalisation for their efforts.

Urgent Reforms Needed

With only five years remaining to achieve Sustainable Development Goals, the report calls for immediate reforms. It stresses the necessity of including indigenous and local women in decision-making processes related to land and forest management. Gender equality and climate action cannot be realised without addressing these critical issues.

Questions for UPSC:

1. Examine the impact of legal recognition on women’s rights in forest management.
2. Critically discuss the role of indigenous women in biodiversity conservation.
3. Discuss in the light of recent reports, the barriers faced by women in accessing land rights.
4. What are the implications of inadequate legal frameworks on community forest tenure for women? How can these be addressed?

Answer Hints:

1. Examine the impact of legal recognition on women’s rights in forest management.

1. Legal recognition is essential for securing land and forest rights for women.
2. Weak or absent laws hinder women’s participation in forest management.
3. Effective legal frameworks can empower women and enhance their leadership roles.
4. Recognition under international agreements, like the CBD, influences national laws.
5. Implementation challenges often prevent equitable access to rights despite legal recognition.

2. Critically discuss the role of indigenous women in biodiversity conservation.

1. Indigenous women possess traditional ecological knowledge crucial for conservation.
2. They manage natural resources sustainably, supporting biodiversity preservation.
3. Women play a key role in community decision-making regarding forest management.
4. Legal recognition of their rights enhances their ability to protect ecosystems.
5. Their exclusion from decision-making undermines conservation efforts and community resilience.

3. Discuss in the light of recent reports, the barriers faced by women in accessing land rights.

1. Lack of legal recognition is the primary barrier to women’s land rights.
2. Many legal systems tie land rights to marital status, disadvantaging unmarried women.
3. Weak laws often fail to protect women’s rights to inherit land.
4. Conservation policies can restrict women’s access to land without alternatives.
5. Social and cultural norms further limit women’s participation in land management.

4. What are the implications of inadequate legal frameworks on community forest tenure for women? How can these be addressed?

1. Inadequate legal frameworks lead to limited recognition of women’s leadership in forest governance.
2. Women have minimal say in community decisions affecting their livelihoods.
3. Only a small percentage of laws provide protections for women’s rights in forest tenure.
4. Addressing these issues requires reforming legal frameworks to include gender equality provisions.
5. Strengthening community-based governance structures can enhance women’s roles and rights.