In Nepal, the management of community forests is based on the participation and
decision making of forest users. The premise of its success is the involvement of
the real users in forest conservation and management. The Nepal Forest Laws
identify women as key forest users and underline the importance of their
participation in community forest management. However, given the sociocultural
setting and the prevailing patriarchy, fostering women’s active
participation remains a challenge. Women are traditionally limited to the private
sphere and men tend to look after the responsibilities in the public sphere.
However, the increasing trend of male outmigration observed in the Mid-hills
may offer a window of opportunity for women to become more involved in the
public sphere and thus, be able to have a decisive influence in forest
management. This paper investigates the factors that have increased the
participation and decision-making level of women in two community forest user
groups. Data were collected through focus group discussions, informal
discussions and interviews with key informants. The results suggest that key
factors that encourage women to take an active role in the management of
community forests are: degraded forests hampering the women to fulfil their
duties (supply of firewood, grass, etc.), previous experiences with women’s
groups to increase their self-confidence, an unsatisfactory flow of information
and men’s full support. Given the high prevalence of male outmigration in the
Mid-hills of Nepal, these results are relevant to formulate policies and strategies
that foster women’s empowerment.