Do the marginalised class really participate in community forestry? A case study from Western Terai Region of Nepal

Community Forestry (CF) is a successful programme in the hilly region of Nepal, but it is relatively new to the Terai region. It has a dual mandate of promoting forest management and conservation as well as promoting equitable access to resources, especially for the poorest of the poor. Though CF is able to meet its first mandate there are many difficulties for meeting the second. This study was done to assess the extent of participation of the marginalized people in decision making, labouring and benefit sharing in community forestry. It was conducted in four Community Forestry User Groups (CFUGs) of the western Terai region of Nepal. Results indicated that the level of participation of lower castes and females in decision making was low and less than for the middle and upper castes and males. These results are discussed in relation to theories of participation and their implications for the overall success of community forestry in Nepal are stressed.