The Impact of Transition From Community Forestry to Conservation Area on Women’s Participation in Forest Governance: A Case Study of Gaurishankar Conservation Area, Nepal

Nepal’s Community Forestry (CF) model, introduced in the 1970s, fostered decentralized forest governance through Community Forest User Groups, promoting local decision-making, and resource management, and fostering local participation, including that of women. However, concerns over biodiversity conservation, conflicting land-use priorities, and the need for alignment with global conservation policies led to the establishment of Conservation Areas (CAs) as an alternative governance model in certain locations. This study examines the impact of the transition from a CF to a CA governance model on women’s participation in forest governance in the Gaurishankar region of Nepal. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, including indepth interviews (32), key informant interviews (10), and focus group discussions (21), field observations, and household surveys (375). Findings indicate that the shift from CF to CA has significantly reduced women’s roles, access to decision-making processes, and opportunities for resource management. The emphasis on professional expertise rather than local knowledge, within the CA model, has undermined governance structures that previously enabled the application of women’s ecological knowledge and equitable participation, posing challenges for sustainable and inclusive conservation outcomes.