Sustainable Rural Environments: Practicing, Managing, and Performing the Gendered Outfields

Gender perspectives are often missing in policy and research on natural resource management and use in a global North context.

Budget: 9,233,000, of which NOK 969,000 to Nord, of which self-financing NOK 222,000.
Funder: NRC
Start and finish date: 01.04.2021-31.12.2023
Consortium (Coordinating organisation in bold): Nordland Research, Nord University, Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Norwegian Institute for Natural Research Foundation Nina

Researchers at FSV:

  • ​Birgit Røe Mathisen
  • Karianne Sørgård Olsen

Abstract:

Gender perspectives are often missing in policy and research on natural resource management and use in a global North context. The gender dimensions of outfield use can facilitate discovering alternative uses and understandings of the outfield. Sustainable governance requires that the diverse and sometimes competing use of outfields is acknowledged, which requires an openness to multiplicity of voices about what the outfields are, and to the kinds of practices that constitute the outfield. Lack of women in governing bodies, and lack of women's and children's uses and knowledge in governance has likely created blindspots. Gender equality underpins Norwegian governance, and gender mainstreaming is key to Norwegian policy, including the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The project will:​​

  • ​investigate how gender influences the management, practice, and symbolic representations of the outfields
  • investigate how experience-based knowledge of outfields inform policies and governance practices
  • develop a critical feminist studies lens to examine governance and policy at local, national, and international levels, to promote sustainability of outfields.