Forest GLOBAL GENDER AND ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK Energy Chapter 2


songbirds) are captured illegally each year in the Mediterranean region for food, hunting and to keep as pets (Birdlife International 2015).


Obtaining reliable figures is problematic, but the total value of the international wildlife trade and environmental crime (including trade in illegal timber) is estimated to be as high as $US8-10 billion per year (Lawson and Vines 2014). Demand for ivory, especially in Asian countries such as China, Viet Nam and Thailand, is rising along with these countries’ economic growth (OECD 2014). The Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) programme of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES) reports that in Africa in 2015, 1334 elephant carcasses were encountered at 40 monitoring sites. This was the same number of carcasses as in 2014, but at six fewer monitoring sites. Despite a slight decline and stabilization since 2011, estimated poaching rates overall remain higher than the normal growth rate of elephant populations (or above the sustainability threshold), which means it is likely the elephant population overall continued to decline in 2015 (CITES 2016).


Information on traders and consumers of wildlife products seldom takes account of gender. However, treating illegal wildlife poaching and trade in a gender- blind way may prevent understanding the issues fully and finding more effective solutions, as they are highly gendered activities (Torres-Cruz and McElwee 2012). People who take part in wildlife-related illegal activities can be characterized by gender as well as social class, income level and geographical location. In many countries, hunting wild animals is perceived as a “man’s job” because of its danger and extended hunting periods, while women may hunt or collect some wild species (e.g. turtles and medicinal plants) or transport wildlife parts and products. Men’s roles in the illegal wildlife trade as both producers (hunters) and consumers are clearer than those of women, even if the latter are involved at several stages of the supply chain (e.g. as transporters or as purchases for food and medicine processing) (Torres-Cruz, McElwee 2012 and Anonymous, 2010). There are different demands by women and men for types of food, ornaments, medicines, decorations, and spiritual and power symbols. For example, eating wild meats and


Box 2.6.1: Women’s role in conservation of high mountain ecosystems in central Tien Shan, Kyrgyzstan


The Public Union Global and Local Information Partnership (GLIP) is a conservation initiative in Central Tien Shan, Kyrgyzstan, a complex high mountainous area with a unique ecosystem. A biological reserve, the Sary- Eertash State Reserve, was established in the Central Tien Shan in 1995. The Tien Shan is home to impressive biodiversity including five endangered mammal species (snow leopard, white clouded-bear, mountain sheep,


Pallas’ cat, stone marten) and many endangered bird species. This area is also home to two former-mining villages, Enylchek and Akshyyrak. In the absence of economic opportunities, a high proportion of the local population – mostly men -- was engaged in poaching. The GLIP and WWF, in focusing on conserving this high mountain biodiversity, sought to develop economic alternatives and to build capacity to provide alternatives to poaching. They engaged women throughout their programmes. Women were given training as rangers (including providing uniforms, binoculars, computers and cameras), and were supported with community- based micro-credit programmes so that they could start new businesses. With stable incomes and conservation training, women have become major advocates of conservation,


including organizing


efforts to discourage their husbands from engaging in or supporting poaching. The level of poaching has dropped significantly.


Source: Balbakova (2016)


Photo credit: © Balbakova 154


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164  |  Page 165  |  Page 166  |  Page 167  |  Page 168  |  Page 169  |  Page 170  |  Page 171  |  Page 172  |  Page 173  |  Page 174  |  Page 175  |  Page 176  |  Page 177  |  Page 178  |  Page 179  |  Page 180  |  Page 181  |  Page 182  |  Page 183  |  Page 184  |  Page 185  |  Page 186  |  Page 187  |  Page 188  |  Page 189  |  Page 190  |  Page 191  |  Page 192  |  Page 193  |  Page 194  |  Page 195  |  Page 196  |  Page 197  |  Page 198  |  Page 199  |  Page 200  |  Page 201  |  Page 202  |  Page 203  |  Page 204  |  Page 205  |  Page 206  |  Page 207  |  Page 208  |  Page 209  |  Page 210  |  Page 211  |  Page 212  |  Page 213  |  Page 214  |  Page 215  |  Page 216  |  Page 217  |  Page 218  |  Page 219  |  Page 220  |  Page 221  |  Page 222  |  Page 223  |  Page 224  |  Page 225  |  Page 226  |  Page 227  |  Page 228  |  Page 229  |  Page 230  |  Page 231  |  Page 232  |  Page 233  |  Page 234  |  Page 235  |  Page 236  |  Page 237  |  Page 238  |  Page 239  |  Page 240  |  Page 241  |  Page 242