In search for the lost gender: Equity in protected areas

In most countries, conservation policies are focused on the conservation and protection of diverse ecosystems. One of the ways leading to ecosystem conservation has been through the creation of protected areas (PA), as it entails developing a series of guidelines, laws and regulations to govern the use of natural resources.

PA are conservation instruments created to protect a countries’ natural resources; but PA should also constitute important tools for equity development among the populations settled within and around protected areas. Such understanding about conservation poses several challenges:

• Ensuring social participation, regardless of the type of PA.
• Development of new methodologies to address PA from broader points of view and theoretical and practical references.
• Participation of all staff involved in PA in ongoing training and refreshment courses.
• Promoting political goodwill among decision makers to change the traditional notions about conservation.

The book “In Search of the Lost Gender” is a conceptual and methodological proposal that provides tools, techniques and recommendations to build processes to promote gender equity perspectives in PA. This document was developed to facilitate PA planning, management and administration, to seek greater social equity, particularly among women and men.