8 March 2013: The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) has published a report, titled “Women, Men and Forest Research – A review of approaches, resources and methods for addressing gender,” which notes that there is increasing attention being paid to gender in development, forests and forest research and REDD+.

The purpose of the report is to provide practical methodological recommendations on gender in forest research in order to improve forest management for the benefit of forests, the environment and forest-dependent people.

The publication differentiates between the means of collecting information and the means of interpreting it. Furthermore, it considers four different methodological options: widely applicable methods, methods requiring few resources, methods for those with relevant social science experience and methods requiring significant resources.

The report concludes that there is a tendency to conduct research about people rather than with people, which limits its effectiveness. The report states that the preferred method is a broad, multi-level participatory approach, although this can be time consuming and pose significant error risks if applied improperly.

CIFOR is a member of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). [Publication: Women, Men and Forest Research: A Review of Approaches, Resources and Methods for Addressing Gender]