Greetings from the International Analog Forestry Network

April Analog Forestry and Lobby & Advocacy workshop

IAFN partner, the Center for Nursery Development and Eru Propagation (CENDEP) is sharing the Analog Forestry methodology, strengthening alliances with women and policy makers, organizing training workshops in five African countries to gather baseline information to inform decision making and position taking, on solutions to environmental challenges. Between April 11-13, in Kpalime, Togo, a 3-day workshop on Analog Forestry/Lobby & Advocacy offered the opportunity for women, members of environmental justice groups as well as local decision makers to focus on priorities regarding land rights, rights to water and food security. The women – notably the queen mothers – clamor for increasing the political space to negotiate with traditional authorities (village and canton heads), and the need to value and put into practice decisions already taken on the land tenure law at the national level, with respect to improving access to land & ownership by women. Problems, causes, impacts and possible solutions to these themes were identified and prioritized, and an action plan elaborated with some of the traditional leaders present.

Excerpts from an interview with Bakia Mary:

How did you come into contact with GAGGA and IAFN? I came into contact with GAGGA and IAFN through CENDEP (IAFN partner in Cameroon) to help organize analog forestry workshops and lobby and advocacy gatherings in Togo, Benin, Uganda, Ghana and Cameroon. What is, in your opinion, the biggest obstacle for women in Cameroon? The biggest obstacle for women in Cameroon is the patriarchal nature of the society in which the women live. They have to cope with the tradition and culture of their various social norms that keep them from carrying out one activity or the other. These range from economic, political and socio- cultural activities considering the fact that women represent the majority in terms of the population. Do you feel supported by the government and stakeholders for your initiatives? Cameroon, like most countries around the globe, has made some major international commitments regarding the issue of gender equity and women’s empowerment. It is important at this point to underscore that much of the progress is only visible in the major cities of the country; the rural areas are seriously in need of these initiatives. Where do environmental problems and gender issues overlap in Cameroon?

Land and ownership rights are the key elements that link women and gender issues to the environment. Rural women constitute the majority of the population in the rural setting and therefore rely heavily on the land for their livelihoods. Any action therefore that impedes women from acquiring or owning land impedes on the positive development of women in general and by extension the family, since in Cameroon, some women are the sole bread-winners. Several organizations in the Northwest region, especially, have grouped themselves into a coalition known as the North West Land Observatory (NWLO) whose role is to accompany women and other marginalized groups in society to engage with policy stakeholders involved in formulating and implementing land policy to integrate women’s issues.

This newsletter is supported by BothENDS // Global Alliance for Green and Gender Action The IAFN Secretariat along with its four Training Centers in Sri Lanka, Cameroon, Bolivia and Costa Rica integrate the Analog Forestry (AF) methodology with the women’s rights and environmental justice agendas.. Both seek to unite and strengthen womens’ and grassroots organizations’ capacity to promote and enhance the right to clean water, healthy food, and a clean and safe environment.