The portfolio is exploring this concept in a variety of contexts in tropical forests. This means learning lessons, identifying what works in the complex realities of these ICDPs, and making the information available to others. The goal of each of the field projects is that local communities and national bodies with special emphasis on women and indigenous people have the skills necessary to carry out sustainable forest management activities that continue beyond the life of donor funding. This issue of the newsletter is devoted to the special emphasis on women. As such, this desk study is also a test of the monitoring and reporting process, and how the project reports communicate progress with respect to a key aspect of their overarching goal.
Power is the ability to negotiate and influence outcomes in a particular environment.
Empowerment is gaining this ability. First of all, people must have the knowledge and skills to make their own informed decisions. It is a contradiction in terms to say that a project empowers people. People empower themselves. Projects can facilitate empowerment by making available information and skills that people want, and by helping communities to break through traditional stereotypes that prevent women from enjoying equity in decision-making and access to resources.