Towards gender equality in family forestry: building self-efficacy together with other female forest owners

ABSTRACT

The share of women among forest owners is growing in the traditionally masculine family forest sector. The present study continues the research on women who own forest in the Nordic setting. The focus is on the behaviour and role of rural female forest owners in Finland, as well as on the benefits of peer learning when building self-efficacy as a forest owner. The qualitative data consist of interviews with female forest owners, peer-learning group observations and feedback. The studied female forest owners who participated in the peer-learning group focused on silvicultural actions on the home farm. These women were eager to learn, but uncertain about their experience and capabilities as forest owners, which reduced their confidence to participate in forest-related discussions outside the home farm. The responsibility and decision-making power regarding the forest property is, in many cases, given to the husband. Within the studied group, the desired aim of learning seems to be the same silvicultural and timber production-oriented knowledge as held by male forest owners. In order to create new ideas and even business opportunities, the facilitator of peer-learning group plays an important role in encouraging participants to take part in more diverse discussions.

KEYWORDS:

• Family forest owners
• forestry
• gender
• mastery experience
• peer learning

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).