On 30 Oct, Jeannette Gurung shared the findings of the Joint Initiative with UNREDD and USAID-funded LEAF project on gender and REDD+ at the Oslo REDD Exchange 2013 during the session on How can REDD+ policies, programs, and projects support transformative change for gender and poverty? Jeannette highlighted that scoping study for the Joint Initiative found 95% of the good practices for strengthening women’s inclusion in forest and other natural resource management sectors came from the community level and did not find good practices at the institutional and policy levels. She also discussed the next step of the Joint Initiative is the national level consultation which is being carried out in Sri Lanka and Cambodia.
The session provided an opportunity for participants to discuss how REDD+ initiatives can be designed to advance social, economic, and political opportunities for women and the poor. Much attention in the REDD+ community to date has focused on a project-level safeguard agenda to prevent harm to vulnerable groups and avoid exacerbating inequality. This session built on lessons learned to date in managing risks to rights and well-being, and explore a positive agenda to include policy- and program-level interventions to utilize REDD+ as an opportunity to transform social and gender paradigms and secure and enhance livelihoods. The session was moderated by Isilda Nhantumbo, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and the speakers were Andrea Quesada-Aguilar, Women’s Environment & Development Organization (WEDO), Ahmad Kusworo, Fauna & Flora International (FFI), Indonesia, Matilda Walimbe, Environmental Protection and Development Association (EPDA Cameroon) and Maria Easterluna Santos Canoy, Kitanglad Integrated NGOs (KIN)
Watch the video of the session here: http://www.norad.no/en/oslo-redd-exchange-2013/streaming/streaming