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Gender-Based Community Participation in
Biodiversity Conservation Activities:
A Case Study From Ratchaburi, Thailand
ADB-Biodiversity Conservation Corridors Initiative (BCI)
Gender-based community participation in
Biodiversity conservation activities:
Thailand at the present has lost its biodiversity at
the alarming rate (ONEP, 2006)Target goal of
ADB-BCI “the continuous provision of NR goods
and services”(ADB, 2005)
 To conserve the country’s biodiversity & sustain
people’s livelihood, support and collaboration of
local community is needed (MA, 2005)
 Need of gender-based analysis in Development
(Agarwal, 2001) Millennium Development Goal
#3: promote gender equality & empower W.
 social problem; poverty /education/ but gender
issues not yet focused (ADB, 2007)

Objectives & Data Collection
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To assess the different contributions of men and
women to livelihood through NRM
Focus-group discussion: M/F in each village
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To comparatively assess the level of local
participation between men and women in
conservation projects
Ladder of Participation frequencies/WAI
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To determine the influencing factors that boost
or hinder the level of participation
Questionnaire WAI
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To provide recommendations
Literature Review
Gender and NR
women’s work involves them closely with natural
resources, whether as haulers of water, hewers of fuel
wood, or contributors in agricultural production while
men are interested in trees to produce building poles
to sell for cash (Leach, 1992).
Gender & community participation
McAdam (1992): women’s parenting role constrains
one’s time and availability for participation
Agarwal (2001): factors that determine participation
such as rules, norms, and perceptions can
disadvantage women.
Arnstein’s ladder of citizen
participation
3: have been informed about this project
4: give opinions/ feedback to the project
such as via survey
5: have position but do not have decisionmaking power
6: have a position and partially involve in
decision-making process
7: Fully involved in decision-making
8: Fully in charge of management
Characteristics of respondents
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84 persons in Punam Ron/ 102 in Pong / #M= #F
Age : majority 30-42 years old
Average monthly income: Pong Krathing Bon
(5,578.81 Baht) / Ban Punam Ron (4,470.75 Baht)
Occupation: Pong Krathing Bon= farmers /Ban
Punam Ron= laborers in non-agriculture.
most respondents spend 5-12 hours to carry out
productive and reproductive works daily
reproductive work: less than 2 hrs.** Except women
in Ban Punam Ron (2-4 hrs.)
**community managing role is not included :
babysitting children of relatives or neighbors, help
out in temple
majority of respondents acquire primary education
Comparative Assessment
Factors
Pong Krathing Bon
Punam Ron
Education
• no education: more female numbers
• 1st and 2nd education is acquired by
more men
• Proportions of men with 2nd edu. are
four times > than of women
*
*
Employment
• Higher proportions of unemployed
women than of men
• Large #women - unemployed (41.2%)
*
Occupation
• farming and labor work – more M
• in sale business – more W
• Government officials are only male
*
*
Female
Income
• Large # women do not earn income.
• In every income-generating group, >
portions of male than female
•No income: W>M
•income >10,000 Baht : W>M
Comparative Assessment
Factors
Pong Krathing Bon
Workload
• More women > men use more than 12
hours of working
• Higher # of hrs. spent to carry out the
reproductive work are occupied by >
women
Leadership
• Head of family is mostly male leader
(3times >female)
• In public sphere, male leaders are 2
times>female leaders
NR uses
Punam Ron
*
• F leaders are 2 times>M
leaders
• Men harvest timber, tree branches, wild *
animals
• women harvest food plants, fuel wood, *
fodder, leaf litter, and herb
• women are collector of water resources *
Gender division of labor (Pong Krathing Bon)
inner = actor / outer = decision maker
Men make decision in most activities (7 out of 8 activities) but workloads are shared
Gender division of labor (Punam Ron)
Shared decision-making and workload
Men -farm maintenance , women - selling farm products
Conservation practices
Women: transporting manure,
manuring , agro-forestry
Men : repairing water reservoir
difference : more sharing of works here
Community participation in
Biodiversity Conservation Activities
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Home Garden
Forest Planting
Village Nurseries
Firebreak Construction
Check-dam Construction
Religious Ceremony on Trees
Village Debate on CINPM (Community-Integrated
National Park Management)
Community participation
Pong Krathing Bon = higher
level of participation (WAI)
Punam Ron: more participants
in most activities
Participation level (WAI)
Projects
Home garden
Forest planting
Village nurseries
Fire break construction
Check dam construction
Religious ceremony on trees
Village debate
Total weight
Average
Pong Krathing Bon
(n=102)
M (51)
F (51)
0.29
0.37
0.38
0.21
0.37
0.19
0.41
0.16
0.47
0.15
0.23
0.32
0.48
0.28
2.63
1.68
0.38
0.24
0.17 = level 1 of
0.33 = level 2 of
0.50 = level 3 of
0.67 = level 4 of
0.83 = level 5 of
1.00 = level 6 of
participation ladder
participation ladder
participation ladder
participation ladder
participation ladder
participation ladder
Punam Ron
(n=84)
M (42)
F (42)
0.29
0.46
0.46
0.36
0.22
0.23
0.34
0.28
0.29
0.26
0.14
0.19
0.31
0.42
2.05
2.20
0.29
0.31
Comparative Assessment
Factors
# Participants
Participant
Level
Pong Krathing Bon
Punam Ron
 > M in forest planting, village
 > M in firebreak construction and
nurseries, check-dam construction,
check-dam construction
fire-break construction, village debate  > F in home garden, forest
 > F in home garden and religious
planting, village nurseries,
ceremony on trees
religious ceremony on trees, and
village debate
 > M participation - forest planting,
 > M participation is found in
village nurseries, check-dam
forest planting, construction and
construction, fire-break construction,
check-dam construction
village debate
 > F participation is found in home
 >F participation - home garden and
garden, village nurseries,
religious ceremony on trees
religious ceremony on trees, and
village debate
Comparative Assessment
Factors
Drivers for
participation
Drivers for
nonparticipation
Recommend
Pong Krathing Bon
 M- time, incentive, leader, and distance
 F -time, incentive, and linkage b/w NR
& livelihood
 M- time, incentive, and advertisement
 F - time, incentive, family members,
and advertisement
 M-suitable time, provision of
knowledge & money, and close
distance
 W- provision of knowledge & money,
close distance, and advertisement
Punam Ron
 M- time and incentive
 F - time, incentive, and leaders
 M- time, advertisement, and
distance
 F- time, family members,
advertisement, and distance
 M-provision of knowledge &
money, bottom-up approach,
and advertisement
 W- lose distance, while bottomup approach and provision of
knowledge & money carry the
same weight of importance
Drivers for
participation
Similarity across genders and villages
 Time and incentive are perceived as the most
influencing factors
Gender-based difference in two villages
 In Ban Pong Krathing Bon : men- leader &
distance /W- linkage between natural resources
and livelihood function
 In Ban Punam Ron, women consider leader as
their influencing factor
Drivers for
nonparticipation
Common finding across village and gender
 Time and advertisement are perceived as the most
influencing factors for both M&W in both villages
 In both villages, W consider family
members/neighbor influence as influencing factor
Difference
 Incentive: Both M&W in Ban Pong Krathing Bon
 Distance: Both M&W in Ban Punam Ron
Quantitatively, they perceive gender is
not influencing factor …… let’s see !!
Quantitative finding
Correlation analysis: the higher no. of male,
the lesser numbers of participants in Religious
Ceremony on Trees
1) there is a link b/w gender & participation
2) No. of male participants influence
participation of the opposite sex.
qualitative
data??
Insights from Male Pong Krathing Bon
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Overload work for W if women are employed
Traditional belief: W stay at home/ M study& work
reproductive work is women’s responsibility
If shared: get laughed at/wife go out
Men are more suitable for leadership
(travel/household chores ~ children)
Community work: W cook/ religious/ decoration
W feel uncomfortable to involve when many men
are there
Female Pong Krathing Bon
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feel uncomfortable to express opinions in public
Not consider reproductive roles as work
proudly accepted that men are breadwinners for a
family
believe in men-dominated society (more knowledge,
experience, and social connection)
accept household chores as their total responsibilitytoo much
public service are mostly undertaken by men
Reasons: husband said so, chores/children, children
annoy, feel unwelcomed
Opposite result from young female adult
Male Punam Ron
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fair arrangement on workload
Education: equal now
“as commonly seen everywhere in the world,
the president or leader of any country is
mostly male”. (men are more suitable)
is difficult for women, especially the married
ones, to travel around
More women in public function because
they stay at home or work within community
area
Female Punam Ron
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Feel comfortable in sharing opinions
both husband and wife do generate incomes and do
share responsibility in household chores.
Female leaders should be encouraged (they are
also)
women are more precautious in making decision
no gender difference: knowledge, experience, and
social connection.
feel proud to be part of conservation projects &
receive knowledge from hands-on activities
Differences b/w villages : education gap, age,
existence of female leaders , traditional pratices
Recommendations
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Promote gender sensitivity
Promote public participation
Promote formulation of gender-friendly
policies