How Can Women’s Empowerment Transform Forest Governance in Cameroon?
- Trésor Daniel Mefire
- Apr 13
- 5 min read
April 13, 2025
Author: Trésor Daniel MEFIRE
Country: Cameroon
SUMMARY
Forests cover 42% of Cameroon’s land and sustain 40% of rural livelihoods, yet women primary users of forest resources remain marginalized in decision-making (FAO, 2022). Women perform 87.1% of seedling propagation and 85.1% of illegal logging surveillance, demonstrating their irreplaceable role as custodians (Strengthening Women’s Participation, 2016). Their traditional knowledge sustains ecosystems and rural economies, but they receive only 30% of profits from forest-derived products (World Bank, 2020). Successful initiatives like CAMGEW have shown women’s potential: training 800 women in agroforestry and beekeeping increased forest cover by 22% and household incomes by 58% within three years (Transforming Gender Relations, 2023).
Systemic barriers persist, including cultural norms excluding women from forest management meetings (78%) and policies failing to address gender equity, only 3 of 17 forestry laws include gender provisions (MINFOF, 2021). Consequences include ecological degradation, economic losses ($28 million annually), and food insecurity as women harvest 40% of rural protein from forest foods (FAO, 2022; World Bank, 2022).
Evidence-based solutions include quota systems (Gabon’s 35% female participation), land tenure reform (Ghana’s joint-ownership model), and gender-responsive budgeting (Rwanda’s allocation of forestry funds to women). Integrating women into governance is essential for reversing deforestation trends, enhancing climate resilience, and unlocking $12 million in annual GDP growth (FAO, 2022; World Bank, 2020).
BACKGROUND
How Can Women’s Empowerment Transform Forest Governance in Cameroon?
Introduction
Forests cover 42% of Cameroon's land area and sustain 40% of rural livelihoods (FAO, 2022). Yet women, who constitute the primary users of forest resources, remain marginalized in decision-making spheres. This article examines their critical role, systemic barriers, and the far-reaching consequences of their exclusion, while proposing actionable solutions grounded in successful case studies. This disparity persists despite evidence suggesting women's participation improves conservation outcomes by 28% (World Bank, 2020). In fact, this mirrors a broader African trend where women constitute nearly 70% of the agricultural workforce but own less than 20% of land (African Development Bank, 2021). The 1994 Forestry Law, while progressive in community forest creation, failed to address gender imbalances, resulting in systemic exclusion from decision-making (Alemagi et al., 2022). As climate change intensifies and Cameroon loses over 220,000 hectares of forest annually (Global Forest Watch, 2023), empowering women forest stewards becomes an ecological necessity and economic imperative.
1. The Pillars of Forest Stewardship
Cameroonian women perform 87.1% of seedling propagation and 85.1% of illegal logging surveillance (Strengthening Women’s Participation, 2016), demonstrating their irreplaceable role as forest custodians. Their traditional knowledge of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) sustains both ecosystems and rural economies. Nonetheless, they receive only 30% of profits from forest-derived products they process (World Bank, 2020). In the Kilum-Ijim transformation, CAMGEW trained 800 women in agroforestry and beekeeping, resulting in forest cover increasing by 22% and household incomes rising 58% within three years (Transforming Gender Relations, 2023). This underscores their critical contributions.
2. Barriers to Participation
Cultural norms systematically exclude women. 78% of Bimbia-Bonadikombo women are barred from forest management meetings despite contributing 63.4% of surveillance labor (Challenges of Women, 2018; Strengthening Women’s Participation, 2016). Only 3 of 17 forestry laws include gender provisions, while 90% of women lack land titles (MINFOF, 2021; Analysis of Forestry Reforms, 2023). A 22-percentage-point literacy gap limits women's participation in governance (Challenges of Women, 2018), further hindering their inclusion.
3. Consequences of Exclusion
The marginalization of women in forest governance creates three compounding crises:
Ecological Degradation: Annual deforestation rates of 220,000 hectares (Global Forest Watch, 2023) correlate directly with women's exclusion. Their absence reduces sustainable harvesting practices by 28% (World Bank, 2020).
Economic Losses: Cameroon forfeits an estimated $28 million annually in NTFP value chains by undervaluing women's labor (World Bank, 2022). With equitable profit-sharing, the 73% of forest products processed by women could generate 58% higher incomes (World Bank, 2020).
Food Insecurity: Women harvest 40% of rural protein from forest foods (FAO, 2022). Their exclusion from management decisions threatens this nutritional safety net, particularly for child-headed households.
These impacts demonstrate how gender inequity undermines Cameroon's climate resilience and SDG progress (MINEPDED, 2023).
4. Pathways to Inclusion
Three evidence-based solutions emerge from successful models:
Quota Systems: In Gabon, a 35% female participation rate in forest governance, achieved through quotas, improved conservation outcomes (Central African Forest Initiative, 2022).
Land Tenure Reform: Ghana's joint-ownership model increased female landownership by 41% (GIZ, 2022), a replicable solution for Cameroon's 90% land title gap.
Gender-Responsive Budgeting: Allocating 15% of forestry funds to women's leadership programs, as done in Rwanda, could address the education-participation nexus (Analysis of Forestry Reforms, 2023).
5. Additional Strategies
Community Engagement: Sensitization campaigns that challenge patriarchal norms are essential. Engaging men as allies is crucial for shifting cultural perceptions.
Institutional Support: Civil society organizations (CSOs) should collaborate with governments to integrate gender considerations into forest management frameworks. Platforms like REFACOF demonstrate the importance of advocacy networks in driving systemic change (Q&A with Cécile Ndjebet, 2015).
Conclusion
Integrating women into forest governance is not merely equitable, it's an ecological and economic imperative. As Cameroon prepares for COP28, implementing these recommendations could unlock $12 million in annual GDP growth while reversing deforestation trends (World Bank, 2020; FAO, 2022). The alternative of continued exclusion jeopardizes the nation's climate commitments and food security. Furthermore, the UN's Decade of Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) provides a strategic window to mainstream gender-responsive policies (UNEP, 2021). Cameroon's most viable pathway to sustainable development in an era of climate crisis hinges on promoting gender equity in forest governance.
REFERENCES
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Empowering women in forest governance is key to sustainable development & climate resilience!