Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Challenges
The success achieved by the women in PLEC has brought its own problems.
Women who had hitherto lived sheltered lives, largely untouched by mainstream
development, are excited about their new opportunities and want to make the
most of these opportunities. However, some men in the village feel threatened by
the developing financial freedom of the women. Other problems faced include
transportation during educational campaigns. Another big constraint is the pres-
ence of termites, which destroy their food crops and their beehives. Despite all
this, the women are confident that while they continue to collaborate with the
PLEC researchers most of these constraints will be managed.
Conclusion
Pacesetters will always be pacesetters, and the women of Jachie believe in light-
ing the path for others to follow. This they have done by promoting biodiversity
management. In the short span of seven years, PLEC has made tremendous
progress in the confidence-building process as women now participate in village
meetings. Nationally and internationally the project has attracted the attention of
both visitors and the media. Their activities have been highlighted on national
television as a successful example of development projects managed by women.
An achievement worth mentioning is that the District Assembly Unit Committee
elections of December 1998 brought about political changes in the village leader-
ship. For the first time a woman, the leader of the PLEC Women Farmers'
Association, was democratically elected as a member of the Unit Committee.
As the major group of farmers, collectors of fodder, firewood, and other produce,
the women continue to play a major role in sustaining agrobiodiversity on indi-
vidual farm and village lands.
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The Main Report
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unpublished.
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