The Shouf Biosphere Reserve (SBR) in Lebanon, located within the Mediterranean Basin, highlights the critical intersection of gender roles, cultural landscapes, and biodiversity conservation. Caroline Succar Slaiby’s study focuses on the role of women in this reserve, exploring their contributions to environmental conservation, rural economies, and cultural practices. The study provides valuable insights into the challenges women face and offers recommendations to enhance gender equality and economic empowerment.
Women’s Contributions to Rural Economies and Conservation
Women in the Shouf Biosphere Reserve play multifaceted roles in agriculture, food production, hospitality, and handicrafts. They are farmers, producers of traditional goods, beekeepers, and members of cooperatives. Their economic activities significantly support biodiversity conservation by integrating sustainable practices into production processes. For instance, many women use organic fertilizers, replace chemical pesticides with natural alternatives, and participate in environmental campaigns like afforestation and waste sorting.
Women’s cooperatives, such as those in Bater and Barouk, provide platforms for producing high-quality food and agricultural products while promoting organic and sustainable practices. Additionally, women have been central to preserving traditional cultural values and local biodiversity by producing artisanal goods and hosting eco-tourism initiatives, such as guesthouses showcasing local food and customs.
Challenges Facing Women
Despite their contributions, women in the Shouf region face significant challenges, including gender-based discrimination, limited access to land, and legal and societal constraints. National laws, such as those related to inheritance and labor, often disadvantage women. For example, in many religious communities, male heirs receive larger shares of property, limiting women’s access to essential resources like land.
Socially, traditional gender roles still dominate, with many women bearing the double burden of professional work and household responsibilities. In focus groups conducted during the study, women expressed frustration with societal expectations that prioritize men’s dominance in decision-making and restrict women’s independence. Additionally, limited financial resources and lack of training opportunities hinder women’s ability to scale their enterprises or participate fully in economic activities.
Empowerment Initiatives and Opportunities
The Shouf Biosphere Reserve has initiated several projects to empower women and address gender imbalances. Training programs, supported by organizations like the MAVA Foundation, focus on developing women’s technical and entrepreneurial skills. These include workshops on sustainable agricultural practices, value-added product creation, and marketing.
Farmers’ markets, established in partnership with local organizations, have provided women with platforms to sell their products directly to consumers, eliminating intermediaries and increasing profits. The “Cedar Loans” program also offers women access to microcredit for launching or expanding small businesses.
Recommendations
The study recommends several measures to enhance women’s roles and reduce gender gaps:
- Policy Reforms: Amend labor and inheritance laws to ensure equal rights for women, including land ownership and protection against workplace harassment.
- Capacity Building: Expand training and mentoring programs focused on production, marketing, and leadership skills.
- Market Access: Strengthen local and online markets for women’s products to increase economic opportunities.
- Awareness Campaigns: Promote gender equality through community education and advocacy to challenge traditional stereotypes.
Conclusion
Women in the Shouf Biosphere Reserve are crucial agents of economic development and biodiversity conservation. By addressing systemic challenges and enhancing support for women’s initiatives, the region can achieve greater gender equality and sustainable development. The SBR serves as a model for integrating women’s empowerment with environmental and cultural conservation efforts.
References
For more insights, the full paper is available at IUCN Library
