Gender exclusion in Indonesia’s community-based forest management extension program

AbstractThis study investigates the gender dimensions of Indonesia’s Community-based Forest Management (CBFM) extension program. It employs a mixed-method approach to examine women’s participation and benefits, highlighting gender biases in the extension. The findings reveal significant social capital within the CBFM group, while also identifying persistent gender exclusion in the extension process. Limited female participation in planning and evaluation, along with moderate scores in implementation and perceived benefits, indicate a neglect of women forest farmers in the extension intervention. Prioritizing women’s inclusion and empowerment, particularly through recognizing and involving them in the innovation process, proves to be as effective, if not more, than solely targeting men. While specific to this program and area, these findings inform future interventions addressing gender exclusion in community forest extension. Emphasizing gender-transformative approaches is crucial for meaningful innovation and the adoption of extension services.Keywords: Gender exclusioncommunity-based forest managementsocial capitalparticipationprogram extension AcknowledgementsThe authors would like to thank the participants of the study for their time and invaluable insights, as well as all individuals who assisted in data collection during the study.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.Additional informationFundingThis study was undertaken as part of, and funded by, the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Brwijaya, Indonesia. The contents are the authors’ responsibilities and do not reflect the views of the funding agency.Notes on contributorsYayuk YuliatiYayuk Yuliati is a Professor at the University of Brawijaya, specializing in the field of Agricultural Sociology, with a particular emphasis on Gender and Development. Her research focuses on understanding the role of gender dynamics and equality in agricultural practices and rural development.Edi Dwi CahyonoEdi Dwi Cahyono an Associate Professor of Agricultural Extension and Communication at the University of Brawijaya, focuses his recent research on studying farmer and stakeholders’ behaviors with a strong emphasis on sustainability. He also explores techno-social innovations and investigates various transformation methods.Rizky MaulanaRizky Maulana has recently completed a Master’s degree program in Sociology at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Brawijaya. His research includes studying gender and social capital. ArissaryadinArissaryadin who recently completed a doctoral program at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Brawijaya, is currently working at the Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering of Bima, Indonesia. His recent research focused on studying the factors that drive extension workers’ motivation and developing self-efficacy instruments for farmers.