Women play a critical role in the conservation and management of forest resources. Women’s right to forest land has always been a crucial subject in the social status, economic well-being and empowerment of women. The rights agenda in forestry includes a demand for participation of forest dependent people especially women in political decision making and is critical for the social as well as economic wellbeing. Women have by and large been denied a role in the decision-making polices affecting governance and management of land and forests upon which they depend so heavily.

The Forest Rights Act seeks to undo the historical justice committed to the forest dependent communities by restoring their land and forest rights. The Forest Rights Act has created a legal space for recognizing the rights of women over forest land. This Act has enabling provisions for participation of women in the institutions and decision-making bodies set up under the law. Following are some of the empowering provisions mentioned under FRA:

Empowering Provisions for Women under FRA

• Section 2(g) of the Act provides for the Full and unrestricted participation of women in Gram Sabah’s.
• Rule 4 (2) provides that “The quorum of the Gram Sabha meeting shall be not less than one-half of all members of such Gram Sabha: Provided that at least one-third of the members present shall be women
• Rule 3 (1) provides that not less than 1/3rd of the members of the FRC shall be women
• Rule 5 (c) requires that at least one of the three PRI members nominated to the SDLC shall be a woman.
• Similarly, rule 7 (c) requires that out of the three members of the district panchayat to be nominated to the DLC by the district panchayat, at least one shall be a woman
• Section 4 (4) Ensures equal rights of women in the titles issued under the FRA. This also ensures independent rights to titles for single women or women headed households.