Pam Foster
Friends of the Earth
251 Laurier Avenue West, Suite 701
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5J6
CANADA
Women's position vis-a-vis-the environment is both vulnerable and powerful. It is vulnerable for women are often the first victims of environmental degradation whether because of loss of fuel, food and fodder sources, indoor air pollution or water contamination or rising prices due to resource scarcity. The gendered impacts of environmental degradation are becoming well- documented (Rodda, 1991, Women's Agenda 21). What requires more research and much celebration, however, is the powerful role which women play as resource and community managers. Women are a resource for environmental protection at the policy formulation and implementation level which can no longer continue to be ignored for democratic and enviromental reasons.
Participatory development recognizes the power of women through the use of techniques which foster development from within through empowerment and sense of ownership over the change process. This paper discusses the possible uses of participatory rural appraisal techniques (Chambers, 1983, Heaver, 1991), to improve women's input and participation in environmental decision- making at the community level. This paper therefore addresses fundamentally [important questions such as women's relationship with the state].
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