The role of women in forest bureaucracies: a gender perspective analysis from the representatives of conservation and production interests in Argentina

Abstract

Forestlands have become spaces of negotiation between conservation and production interestsamong state and non-state actors across the world. In this context, the role of women inforestlands has mainly been studied at local levels, showing that while women are associated toconservation activities, land distribution is concentrated in men. However, no studies have sofar analyzed the role of women in forest bureaucracies. In Argentina, although women have been gaining positions within specific activities of the forest sector, the number remainssignificantly small compared to men positions, resulting in a predominantly male dominantsector. Hence, this study aimed at analysing the role of women in forest bureaucracies andexplaining the connections between their positions and the decision-making process of land usein forestlands, using the case of Argentina. To answer these questions, we analysed the staffworking for the forest bureaucracies in charge of the main forest legal instrument in thecountry: the national forest conservation law. As a federal country, the provinces of Argentinahave the power over the natural resources inside their territory resulting in a wide range ofland use management scenarios according to the economic activities and political interests ofthe provinces. By means of the law, the national government gives a budget to the provinces toconserve forestlands and to develop a land-use planning of their forestlands. We interviewedrepresentatives of the production and conservation forest bureaucracies of different provincesworking in the application of the law and, additionally, we support our data, with informationprovided in the official bureaucracy web pages. Our data base was processed in a multivariateanalysis to determinate the connection between the variables. We found a small percentage ofwomen in the higher positions of forest bureaucracies compared to men and the women inthese positions express to adopt a rigid posture on their decisions to gain respect among men.We observed women representatives mainly in activities that are against economic interests ofthe provinces or remain insignificant as conservation tasks, we discussed this could beintentionally as local people have more respect to the male image in authorities. Even ifArgentina is a country where women rights are discussed and women representation in forestbureaucracies is aimed in strategic projects, they still do not play an important role in thedecision-making process.