Research on gender and green governance in other disciplines has focused mainly on women's near absence from forestry institutions. This interdisciplinary book turns that focus on its head to ask: what if women participated in these institutions—what difference would that make? Would women's inclusion in forest governance—undeniably important for equity—also affect decisions on forest use and outcomes for conservation and subsistence? How large a presence of women, and of which class, would make an impact? Answers to such questions could prove foundational for effective environmental governance, yet they have been subjected to little empirical investigation.

Traversing uncharted territory with rare analytical rigour, this lucidly written volume makes significant original contributions to current debates on gender and governance, forest conservation, clean energy policy, critical mass, community participation, and social inclusion.

About the Author

Bina Agarwal Professor of Economics in the Institute of Economic Growth, at the University of Delhi.

Table of Contents:
List of Figures List of Tables Abbreviations Preface PART I: THE POTENTIAL OF PRESENCE 1. Presence and Representation 2. Gendered Interests and the Environment 3. From Absence to Negotiated Presence PART II: THE IMPACT OF PRESENCE 4. Fieldsites and Field Profile 5. From Exclusion to Empowered Engagement 6. Rules and Rule-Makers 7. Violations and Penalties 8. Conservation and Regeneration 9. Shortages Amidst Growing Plenty PART III: BEYOND PRESENCE 10. Connecting with Civil Society: Weaving a Web of Strategic 11. Engaging with Government: Extending the Web Definitions of Variables and Descriptive Statistics References Author Index Subject Index About the Author