Understanding Women’s Engagement in the Timber Value Chain Nodes in the East African Community
Abstract
This study assessed women's engagement in timber value chain nodes and captured the actual situation in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Specifically, the study highlights the existing gaps in the enabling environment for women in the timber value chain; planning in the East African Community (EAC) strategies, policy and legal frameworks; and mapping out key players and their roles in the timber value chain. Data were collected through a review of the existing literature, household interviews, focus group discussions (FGD) and key informant interviews (KIIs). The findings showed that the gaps in the enabling environment for women in the timber value chain include gender-blind trade and forestry policies, limited access to land and resources, underrepresentation of women in decision-making, inadequate legal protection, and the lack of gender-disaggregated data, as well as cultural and social norms. However, the existing strategies, policies and legal frameworks, to a certain extent, support women involved in the timber value chain nodes. There was a significant difference in women’s engagement in the timber value chain in the EAC (p < 0.05). As it was noted, key players in the timber value chain in EAC are men whose main roles predominate in logging, sawmilling and transportation nodes. Furthermore, women were observed participating in forest operations, sawmilling and trading nodes. Current laws of the East African Community, regulations, and plans provide a starting point in encouraging women's participation in the timber value chain. However, some important gaps still remain. In addition to empowering women, addressing these disparities through focused reforms and interventions will improve overall sustainability and efficiency of the region's timber industry. The study offers the following recommendations to enhance women's involvement in the EAC timber value chain: reforming gender-responsive policies, securing access to land and resources, enhancing capacity, providing training in transportation, logging, and sawmilling, and modifying norms.
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