Gender Difference in Preference for Gazetted Forest Conservation among Smallholder Forest-Adjacent Farmers in Elgeyo Marakwet County, Kenya: Best-Worst Scaling Approach

Gender differences in preference for forest conservation and management are crucial in developing effective, inclusive, and sustainable environmental interventions. Men and women prioritize issues differently due to their varied societal roles, responsibilities, and access to resources. However, little is known concerning these distinctive and important attributes as well as the overall contribution towards conserving and managing the fragile gazetted forest ecosystem. This paper assessed the gender difference in preference attributes under social, economic and environmental alternative scenarios among smallholder forest-adjacent farmers in Elgeyo Marakwet County, Kenya. We used cross-sectional data collected from 419 households and applied a multi-stage and simple random sampling design. The data was analyzed using the Best-Worst scaling experimental approach and a multinomial logistic regression model to assess the determinants of gender preferences towards forest conservation and management aspects. The findings of the study revealed gender disparities in forest-related experiences, educational attainment, and financial well-being by indicating that men had more experience with forest resource engagements and higher levels of education, which could influence their preference for conservation and management interventions. The results further revealed that institutional and coordination abilities are crucial for successful forest conservation; thus, community empowerment and personal capabilities were regarded as important among both genders. This study recommends gender-based conservation and management programmes and focusing on community-based driven solutions and regulatory measures such as technical training programmes and empowering local communities with the skills necessary to engage in conservation efforts. Through such initiatives, issues related to gender-specific approaches to conservation initiatives shall form a pivotal role in fostering appropriate sustainable forest conservation and management strategies.