The general objective of this study is to trace the status of women of Dharapani Women managed Community Forest. This study explore(s) some lessons and challenges related to participation, eco-feminism of forest and effect of patriarchal society whether; the CF fully managed by women.
During the study, primary and secondary data collected by using both quantitative (applied several Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) tools) and qualitative methods (used questionnaires) for data collection. For the study, total 64 households (100%) interviewed. The data of the study had analyzed using both quantitative and descriptive methods.
This study deduced the social and cultural veracity of rural societies and their relationships with forest and managing forest by community is a holistic strategy. Community forest resources are more complex and entangled in a society where there is a prime role of women on the protection and utilization. In the studied area women had given chance on document but not on the reality for making self decision.
Some elite men still dominating women on choosing EC member, decision making in meetings and assemblies. As well as poor and dalit people have still dominated by Brahmin/chhetris, because key positions are lead by elite household till now. Women are trying to manage spare time for the well management of forest as well as betterment of their family and for their own personality development. Managing time from household works women are utilizing their leisure time for not only seasonal and off seasonal vegetable framing, taking care of children but in social and self-development works.
Conflicts among user held on hierarchical and patron-client social relation, incompatibility of formal laws, conflicts of interest, protection and belief, with bad governance of CF. Majority of user are in materialistic participation, and low in realization of problem, drafting OP and constitution, which is self motivation, as well as monitoring and evaluation is also in low position.
People are managing forest well but not showing eco-feminism. Users do not implement technological approaches; however, they scientifically proved, before testing the local climate and mud.
