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.