Impact of Forest Legislation on Gender Roles in Indigenous Forest-based Employment in West Bengal

Abstract

This study examines the impact of forest legislation on gender roles in indigenous forest-based employment in West Bengal, with particular emphasis on women’s traditional roles in non-timber forest product (NTFP) gathering and their statutory employment rights. Adopting an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design grounded in feminist political ecology, the research evaluates empirical data from selected forest-fringe villages inhabited by Santhal, Munda, and Lodha communities. The study integrates household surveys (????=120), focus group discussions, and qualitative case studies across Jhargram, Bankura, and Purulia districts. Findings reveal that historical and contemporary forest legislation restructures traditional gendered divisions of labor. While indigenous women historically held central roles in fuelwood collection, sal leaf processing, medicinal plant gathering, and minor forest produce marketing, their customary rights were severely constrained under centralized colonial and post-colonial state policies. Although the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA) legally expands formal recognition of community and individual rights, female forest dwellers do not access these benefits equitably due to bureaucratic barriers, legal illiteracy, and persistent patriarchal norms within governance structures. Case studies demonstrate partial economic support through self-help groups and Joint Forest Management (JFM) committees; however, decision-making authority remains overwhelmingly male-dominated. The study concludes that gender-sensitive policy implementation, institutional reforms, and strict enforcement of joint titling are essential for ensuring equitable forest-based employment and sustainable livelihood security among indigenous women in West Bengal.