Tackling gender issues in sustainable land management

This modular instrument provides a conceptual and operational framework for main-streaming gender in rural development activities. It addresses the lack of conceptual and practical tools in the area of sustainable land management. Its modular design allows for individual approaches and targets development staff at the project and programme levels, with the aim of helping them to find practical ways of dealing with gender issues in rural development activities. From a perspective that takes up the Beijing call for gender mainstreaming, it also reaches out to people responsible for policy and organisational development. The modules build on the conceptual framework for natural resource management (NRM) jointly developed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE) – more specifically on the activities of the SLM Working Group. In addition, case studies and reports on experience gained by NGOs and research projects in the field of rural development in Nicaragua (Miraflor), India (Sampark) and Kenya illustrate the focus on gender in sustainable land management projects. Information and practical advice on implementation, as well as on monitoring and evaluation of the key aspect of gender in sustainable management are still lacking. No blueprint is possible given the fact that measures need to be tailored to the needs and priorities of local environments and projects. Searching for adequate tools is therefore a never-ending and dynamic endeavour, in which all readers of these modules are invited to participate.