ABSTRACT
The policy literature surrounding the governance of community forests in the middle hills of Nepal has changed and grown substantially. In the late 1970s and 1980s, the focus was primarily on promoting the effective participation of local communities in the sustainable management of forests. But recently and increasingly, community forestry policies are questioning the undifferentiated view of local communities and the role of gender and social relations in the efficient and equitable governance of community forests. The major actors involved in implementing community forestry – the state, donors and civil society organizations – have been making concerted efforts to mainstream gender and social inclusion in community forestry policies and institutions.
