WOMEN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY IN NEPAL - EXPECTATIONS AND REALITIES

Community forestry programs in Nepal, based on the erroneous assumptio n that farming families are the major cause of deforestation, ignore o ther critical causes. Recent emphasis on the inclusion of women in the se programs, based on the recognition of women's subsistence activitie s and understanding of nature, minimizes fundamental constraints embed ded in Nepalese society. A review of community forestry programs funde d by international agencies and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) i ndicates increasing participation of both women and men at the communi ty level. Exaggerated expectations of the potential of community fores try in solving Nepal's ecological crisis could undermine the fragile g ains of Nepali women.