Himanshu Tiwari In my opinion, legal and policy frameworks play a huge role in supporting women’s rights and participation in community forestry. Laws like the Forest Rights Act (FRA) and policies such as the Joint Forest Management (JFM) guidelines are important because they give women a clear legal backing to get involved and have their voices heard.

For example, I believe the Forest Rights Act is very important because it actually recognizes women’s rights to own and manage forest land. It doesn’t just treat women as helpers, but as equal rights holders, which is a big step forward. In many cases, the Act says that land titles should be in the name of both the husband and wife, and that really helps protect women from losing their land if something happens to their marriage.

In my view, the Joint Forest Management guidelines also matter a lot. They often require that women are included in decision-making bodies and committees that manage the forests. I suggest that when women are officially part of these groups, they are more likely to take an active role, and their needs and knowledge are considered when making decisions about forest use and conservation.

However, I also think that having these laws and policies is not enough by itself. There are still challenges, like traditional attitudes and lack of awareness, that can make it hard for women to actually use their rights. In my opinion, it’s really important for governments and NGOs to keep pushing for real changes on the ground, making sure that women know about their rights and are supported to take leadership roles in community forestry.

In a nutshell, I believe legal and policy frameworks like the FRA and JFM are important for supporting women’s participation in community forestry, but I also feel that real progress happens when these laws are actually put into practice and supported by the whole community.