Approaches to improve the strategies in each of the three areas namely research, policy, and programme were discussed. Proposals for future directions were put forth. These led to the formulation of the final recommendations of the Consultation.
Research Strategies
There is a growing realisation that projects and programmes that involve communities and biodiversity conservation need to have special training orientations for the staff, to empower them to deal with communities. In most cases, the personnel working in such projects are science-based persons and have no training in social and gender issues. Scientists need to gain communication skills as well as a basic understanding of community dynamics. Sometimes mentoring is used as a device in community-based programmes.
Multi disciplinary projects are getting more popular and are seen as being more effective in achieving a holistic goal. There are many scientist leaders in such projects, and there appears to be resistance to lateral linkages among themselves. There is a need to develop a forum for such people to exchange ideas and concerns within the project.
In many biodiversity conservation projects that are placed in remote areas, the local men come forward with information. Consequently, the observation from women are not evident. The staff of such projects need to understand that women-based knowledge is different and has also to be chronicled.
The research should not always be top down. Practices based on local knowledge should be given due consideration.
Projects should be based on a ecosystem and not on a single crop or plant. Holistic projects may be more successful if not limited to a single crop or topic.
There is a need to identify crops of high nutritional value and of local importance. Production of such crops needs encouragement. This will ensure food security in small yet vital areas.
In many tribal societies, collection of wild food and medicinal plants make a major contribution to daily food consumption. Projects to revive such wild plants and food habits should be encouraged.
Studies on gender relations and labour divisions in agriculture or in knowledge systems do not find their application in policies. There should be a forum to educate policy makers on the research findings of such projects to ensure a continuum in the research-policy environment.
Policy Strategies
The preamble to the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) recognises women's role in biodiversity management. The Conference of Parties (COP) to the CBD has addressed the issues of sustainable use, conservation, and equitable sharing of biological diversity. Other international bodies such as TRIPS and WIPO are silent on the question of gender rights.
At national levels, governments, scientific communities, and NGOs are responsible for ensuring that the National Biodiversity Acts, Plant Rights Acts, and Intellectual Property Acts are gender sensitive.
FAO has an interactive process with national governments and can prepare projects only on their request. FAO has the skills and information to prepare a guideline for gender dimensions in the management of plant genetic resources as well as a gender code for the countries. In many cases, the words `women' and `gender' are synonymous.
Research has shown that women are primary producers, and yet at policy levels, especially for benefits and incentives, governments target men. Thus women become unpaid contributors to the family's food security. There is an urgency to address women's needs in the spheres of community rights, rewards, and recognition mechanisms. In-depth research has also blown the myth that a household is made of individuals sharing a common interest. There are differences in the power relations within a family, in terms of access to resources and decision making. These differences are also based on the caste, ethnic group, and class of the family.
Experts in law and policy research are not sensitised to field situations, and women's organisations lack the special skills to deal with national and international agreements and laws. National bodies dealing with women's affairs should set up a small group of experts to integrate gender issues in Biodiversity Acts.
Delegations that represent a country's interest rarely have a gender expert and so gender issues are not discussed in international agreements. Similarly, national planning bodies and service commissions also need to be sensitised to gender concerns.
Programme Strategies
In most countries the role of women in agriculture remains invisible. Programmes should attempt to highlight the role of women in the management of natural resources.
Programmes should start by documenting gender roles and relationships and then move on to action research.
At times, projects deal with interventions which are not accepted by the communities readily. Strategies to make the interventions successful should also be discussed in the project plans.
Partnerships between government departments, scientists, and NGOs in the field are essential for the success of programmes.
It is necessary to have gender-segregated data both for the purpose of research and for policy decisions. There is resistance to the addition of data points in national Census Reports. Enumerators also need to be sensitised to gender issues in their data sheets.
When programmes are drafted, gender concerns are not given any thought. Many countries and scientists use the concept of gender as an add-on in their programmes. This is not productive to the results of the programme. FAO follows guidelines on inclusion and monitoring of gender in the programmes. Countries should incorporate similar guidelines in their national programmes.
In some cases (as in polio eradication), women have been the targets of the intervention. But, in agricultural interventions they are sidelined. It would be worthwhile to use women farmers as the agents of change in agricultural interventions also.
Agriculture has no prestige value. If rural economies are to be revitalised, agriculture has to be seen as an important sector and it should be central in biodiversity conservation projects too.
Apart from ensuring the production of sufficient food crops, it is also essential to review whether the produce is easily available to all the local communities. Distribution of food to vulnerable regions of the country has to be a priority.
