'They Thought on Our Behalf': CBNRM, Women, and Decision-Making in Kwandu Conservancy, Caprivi, Namibia
Posted: 11 Apr 2013
Date Written: April 11, 2013
Abstract
Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) aims to devolve decision-making power to the communities. While empirical evidence suggests that CBNRM has enhanced opportunities for decision-making at the community-scale, less scholarly attention has been given to women’s participation in CBNRM decision-making. We use an empowerment lens to evaluate women’s ability to participate in CBNRM decision-making. A case study of Kwandu Conservancy, located in Namibia’s Caprivi region, generated 49 interviews of a wide range of female Conservancy residents. Data was also collected through participant observation, document review, and twenty key informant interviews. Data analysis revealed that women’s household responsibilities, women’s fear of public speaking, and culturally-rooted beliefs about men’s superior decision-making abilities pose significant obstacles to women’s participation. While the Conservancy has offered women public-speaking training, hired women into leadership positions, and directly involved women in drafting Kwandu Conservancy’s new constitution, the Conservancy has yet to fully involve women in decision-making. Employment discrimination, insufficient communication about meeting times, inequitable meeting structures, and patriarchal cultural norms will all need to be addressed if the Conservancy is to provide equal decision-making opportunities to female residents.
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