Engendering social and environmental safeguards in REDD+: Lessons from feminist and development research

Abstract

Drawing on feminist and development literature, this paper suggests several important lessons and considerations for building equitable approaches to REDD+. Specifically, we illustrate the conceptual and practical significance of women’s participation for achieving the goals of REDD+ as well as the limits and opportunities for gendering participation in REDD+. We argue that the standing debates over how and in what context gender becomes instrumentalised, technicalised, or institutionalised in development provide important cautionary tales for the implementation and reporting of REDD+ safeguards. By doing so, this paper contributes to the growing literature on gender, development, natural resource management, and REDD+.