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FIRST NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF WOMEN FAMILY FOREST OWNERS HELD IN KATHMANDU 2075 POUSH 5th and 6th

Association of Family Forest Owner’s , Nepal (AFFON) conducted 2 days National Conference of women family forest owners from 45 AFFON districts (2 women representatives from each) with it’s slogan – “Right to property in constitution: Women prosperity through Family Forests .”

The conference was held to establish the right to property of women, capability accretion of the women who own Family Forests and their holistic development through natural resource management.

While inaugurating the conference Honorable Forests and Environment Minister Mr. Shakti Bahadur Basnet committed to lobby for the insurance of Women’s rights towards Forests and take initiation for encouraging women for attaining economic prosperity. He also assured that the selling, transportation and utilization of Wood and Wood based products of Family Forests on the basis of referral provided by Local government will be managed in the near future. He added the import of wood will end soon. Increment of Forest based enterprises along with the women’s involvement in it is the major need of today ” stressed Mr. Basnet.

Chairperson, FECOFUN, Ms. Bharati Pathak stated that the women dependent upon forestry face the highest risk and their security is the major challenge today. She added that women are directly involved in conservation of forests so, in the newly restructured system new forest policy shall be women friendly.

Chairperson, AFFON , Mr. Jog Raj Giri told, “Despite the woman’s role is major in forest they are forbidden to share benefit and utilize it.” He added that women can be capacitated only through Family Forests so, women need equal opportunities. Even the women involved in Forestry sector have been guided through traditional knowledge for continuing their livelihood. In the present time, women involved in Forestry sector have proven to be very active . Forest is the infrastructure of prosperity and equality for women.

Registration of Family Forests is very wrangling and the lack of knowledge on legal procedures is not letting women farmers to plant trees on their own land. Farmers have been expecting, if the registration process can be taken ahead following all the legal process, it will surely assure the benefits and services to be received from government and their trees and forests.

Vice-chairperson, AFFON, Mrs. Indira Ghimire highlighted the objectives of the conference and stressed that the Federal, State and Local level governments shall draft Family Forest Friendly, Laws, Policies, Bills , Regulations and Guidelines for Family Forest Owner’s owning small piece of land comprehending the need of present time .