Sustaining Women Whilst Sustaining the Land? Engendering Eco-timber Production in the Solomon Islands

It is now an accepted fact, in gender and development writing at least, that women in many Third World societies play a vital role in the management of natural resources. Because their activities are often supported by a deep knowledge of resource management issues, women should play an integral role in every environmental project. Nevertheless, many environmental projects have emerged--such as the Solomon Western Islands Fair Trade (SWIFT) eco-timber initiative--in which women play no more than a sideline role in project management or operations. In support of the views expressed by women, as well as some men in the study area, this paper advocates an engendered approach to environmental projects in general, and eco-timber production in particular. In order to attune the eco-timber project to include the interests of women, a number of practical recommendations are