An Intersectional Analysis of Women's Experiences in Forest Carbon Monitoring in Peru, Cameroon and Nepal

HIGHLIGHTS Bias and differences in experiences can occur based on one or more intersectional identities (e.g., age, gender or the place an individual is from or associated with) and can vary depending on unique combinations of identities. Bias and differences in experiences can occur if an additional identity characteristic (e.g., weakness) is socially constructed and assigned to an individual. Of the intersectional identity and structural factors identified in this study, seven out of 14 emerged in all three countries, while the other half were only reported in one or two countries. Of these, three were personal identities (age, caretaker and (dis)ability), one was a constructed factor (lack of physical strength compared to men), and three were structural factors (education, geography and marital status). Intersectional identities or structural factors found across more than one country were often talked about differently between each country and even within the same country. For example, women in all three countries reported challenges based on assumptions that women are weaker than men in a fieldwork setting, but described different ways that this discrimination was displayed, ranging from receiving special care to being told they did not belong in the field. Although including local and Indigenous people in forest carbon monitoring was reported as valuable for better results, few examples were reported of this happening in practice. SUMMARY Gender equity has progressed unequally within science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, with geosciences and specifically the Earth Observation (EO) field remaining largely unbalanced. Limited work has centred women's experiences in forest carbon monitoring (FCM), a field that combines EO and in situ data collection. Fewer studies have focused on perceptions of women from Latin America, Africa and Asia. This study examines participants in SilvaCarbon, an interagency technical cooperation program of the U.S. Government to build FCM capacity in tropical countries, where fewer women have historically participated as participants or training leaders. To better understand barriers that women face in FCM, we analyse personal narratives shared by women in Peru, Cameroon and Nepal. The framework of intersectionality facilitates exploration of intersectional identities in concert with gender that affect women in three distinct country contexts. Findings indicate that individuals' opportunities in FCM are affected by multiple combined identities and circumstances at the personal and structural levels, and through socially constructed, attributed, and perceived identities. L'égalité entre les sexes a progressé dans les domaines de la science, de la technologie, de l'ingénierie et des mathématiques (STEM); les géosciences et spécifiquement le domaine de l'Observation de la terre (EO) demeurant largement déséquilibrés. Un travail limité s'est penché sur les expériences des femmes dans la gestion du carbone forestier (FCM), un champ qui combine l'EO et un recueil de données sur site. Les perceptions des femmes d'Amérique Latine, d'Afrique et d'Asie ont été l'objet de moins d'étude. Cette étude examine les participants de SilvaCarbon, un programme de coopération technique interagences du gouvernement des Etats-Unis, visant à construire la capacité de FCM dans les pays tropicaux, où les femmes ont historiquement moins participé comme membres, et comme directeurs de formation. Pour mieux comprendre les obstacles auxquels les femmes doivent faire face dans le domaine du FCM, nous analysons des histoires personnelles partagées par des femmes du Pérou, du Cameroun et du Népal. Le cadre d'intersectionnalité facilite l'exploration des identités intersectionnelles, ainsi que genrées, affectant les femmes dans trois contextes nationaux distincts. Les résultats indiquent que les opportunités des individus dans le FCM sont affectées par des circonstances et des identités combinées multiples, aux niveaux personnel et structurel, ainsi qu'à l'aide d'identités perçues, attribuées et construites socialement. La equidad de género ha progresado de forma desigual en los campos de la ciencia, la tecnología, la ingeniería y las matemáticas (STEM, por sus siglas en inglés), y las geociencias, en concreto el campo de la observación de la Tierra (EO, por sus siglas en inglés), siguen estando muy desequilibradas en cuanto a equidad de género. Se han realizado pocos estudios centrados en las experiencias de las mujeres en el monitoreo del carbono forestal (MCF), un campo que combina la EO y la recopilación de datos in situ. Muy pocos estudios se han preocupado de las percepciones de las mujeres de América Latina, África y Asia. Este estudio examina a los participantes en SilvaCarbon, un programa interinstitucional de cooperación técnica del Gobierno de los EE.UU. para desarrollar la capacidad de MCF en países tropicales, donde históricamente han participado menos mujeres en actividades de formación, ya sea como participantes o como líderes. Para comprender mejor las barreras a las que se enfrentan las mujeres en el MCF, se analizaron los relatos personales de mujeres de Perú, Camerún y Nepal. El marco de la interseccionalidad facilita la exploración de las identidades interseccionales en función del género que afectan a las mujeres en los contextos de tres países distintos. Los resultados indican que las oportunidades de las personas en el MCF se ven afectadas por múltiples identidades y circunstancias combinadas a nivel personal y estructural, y a través de identidades construidas, atribuidas y percibidas por la sociedad.