Kalpana Giri / Shambhu Dangal 

The recent sexual harassment of women foresters who were participating in an online conference is an example of gender-based discrimination against theme. The incident is not an isolated occurrence. It throws light on persistent discrimination and harassment faced by female foresters in Nepal and by girls and women around the world.

Conversation
The attack has appeared to have emboldened them. It has on the other hand has impelled a crucial but long-overdue conversation on and action to be taken about gender-based discrimination and violence. It is indeed fuelling a movement that could transform the forestry sector and Nepali society. The movement can achieve its goals if all stakeholders take a stand against the pervasive and toxic masculine norms that govern our society—and take action to end gender inequality now.
On 16 May, 278 the female foresters from Nepal and their colleagues and counterparts from around the world met for their third video conference hosted through the teleconferencing platform, Zoom, by Nepal’s Female Forester’s Network (FFN), with the support from RECOFTC’s WAVES programme.
RECOFTC is an international non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring a future where people live equitably and sustainably in and beside healthy, resilient forests. It takes a long-term, landscape-based and inclusive approach to supporting local communities to secure their land and resource rights, stop deforestation, find alternative livelihoods and foster gender equity. Its innovations, knowledge and initiatives enable countries to foster good forest governance, mitigate and adapt to climate change, and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.
The female foresters were holding an online conference due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Unknown and uninvited men hijacked the conference and harassed the participants with explicit, obscene sexual contents and verbal abuse.
The FFN immediately reported the incident to the Nepali authorities and launched a digital protest calling for justice, protection and gender equality. The network’s campaign has reached more than 64,000 people online and the number of supporters is growing every minute. Many Nepali leaders and organisations condemned the incident and voiced their solidarity and supported the call.
Thousands of men have also joined this solidarity.

Revolutionary
The conversation ignited by the campaign is remarkable and revolutionary as the conversation is marked by honesty, passion and the idea of inclusivity. Online and offline, men and women have been discussing power relation and men’s role in tackling harassment.
Throughout the forest sector in Nepal, women leaders, supported by male allies and young students, are demanding change. They are acknowledging that male domination in forestry in Nepal is caused by deeply rooted social values and masculine behavioral norms.
Many more from outside the forest sector are joining the call against gender-based discrimination and for gender equality because they recognise that what happens in the forest sector has been happening in all sectors and walks of life.
The incident of online harassment exposes a systemic and persistent pattern of discrimination faced by women within and beyond the forest sector in Nepal. For decades, Nepal has implemented policies and programmes to promote women’s representation, leadership and influence in the forest sector. The first female Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Forests and Environment together with male and female gender champions spearheaded the campaign. However, resistance to change prevailed and discrimination continued. Affirmative action quotas have helped to increase women’s participation in the forest sector labour force to about 10 per cent from nil. A few women are in decision-making roles today. And women’s enrollment in university's forestry programmes is increasing, signaling future potential for women’s engagement.

Male Hegemony
Yet the structure, leadership and labour force is dominated by men and socialised behaviours and practices work against women professionals. Without major shifts in our cultural norms, women and future generations will continue to face barriers to networking, access to jobs and leadership positions—and harassment. No matter where they work, in the field, behind the desk or in the boardrooms, they will be seen as less capable than their male counterparts.
A group of female foresters in 2017 set out to change this by establishing the Female Foresters Network, promoting gender equality in forestry policy and practice. Today the network has 500 members from government and the nonprofit sector. The network strengthens women’s skills and advocates for women-friendly work spaces and zero tolerance to gender-based harassment and discrimination.
But gender-based harassment and discrimination are only a symptom. Hegemonic masculinity is the cause. Hegemony is dominance of one group over another. In this case, it systematically legitimizes and affirms men’s dominant position by defining standard behaviours and roles for males and females that they must adopt to be accepted and respected in society. From a young age men are socialized to think that they are superior to women. Conversely, women are socialized to accept behaviours and conditions that violate their rights and bodies, and rob them of a future that is inclusive and equal. These toxic behavioural norms harm both men and women and the progress of the whole of society.

Zero Tolerance
We must right this wrong and achieve zero tolerance for gender-based harassment and discrimination. We must make gender equality the new normal not only in the forestry sector but in all aspects of work, education and private life.
Focusing on forestry, we must sensitize male and female foresters about toxic masculinity, establish safeguards for women and men, and demand new behaviours. We call on the Nepal Foresters’ Association to champion women’s leadership, manage grievance mechanisms and mobilize male foresters to name and change toxic behaviors. The government must engage gender and social scientists to tackle the root causes of unequal power relations within the Ministry of Forestry and other institutions. And our universities must help students develop the practical skills and aptitudes they need to achieve equality between women and men.
But the most important and the most difficult shifts must happen within our own minds. Gender equality must not be conceived as a woman’s issue. It harms all of society. Together women and men must imagine and create alternative models of what it means to be a man. In the forest sector, these mind shifts require solidarity, trust and new behaviors and actions among male and female foresters. We will go far with these changes. Together we can make gender equality the norm.

(Dangal is director of RECOFTC Nepal and Giri is senior RECOFTC programme officer and leader of the WAVES initiative)