Integrating Gender Aspects in Natural Resource Management:Ensuring the Sustainability of Environmental Projects in Senegal

Abstract: In Senegal, rural communities depend on natural resources close to their settlement. Therefore,Natural Resource Management efforts require the effective participation of communities, specifically memberswhose socio-economic activities have the biggest impact on the resource. While men's participation is not anissue, social and cultural norms still govern women's participation and may prevent women from beinginvolved. Non-Governmental Organisations working in NRM have to evaluate the importance of this genderimbalance and its impact on the sustainability of their projects. Open-ended questions during semi-structuredexploratory interviews with NGO project staffs as well as the results of analyses using Progressive Focussinghighlight the role of a project staff’s perception of gender as a concept and its utility in achieving the project’sobjectives. The study concludes that project staff members interpret the concept of “gender integration” asmeaning “women integration”. The gender-sensitivity of the project staff is important if gender aspects are to beincluded in the project cycle. Finally, gender integration ensures the sustainability of NRM projects in Senegalwhen socio-cultural factors are taken into consideration.