Towards gender mainstreaming of women in forest and forestry

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K02143
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 08010:Sociology-related
• Research Institution: Kyoto Women's University
• Principal Investigator: Nakamichi Hitomi 京都女子大学, 現代社会学部, 教授 (30254725)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 大友 由紀子 十文字学園女子大学, 人間生活学部, 教授 (00286121)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 森林・林業 / 女性 / ジェンダー / 日本 / ヨーロッパ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The study was based on interviews with women involved in forest and forestry sectors in Japan and Europe. These women were diverse in their occupations, activities related to forests and forestry, ages, and places of residence. I reported in the national conferences and scientific journals on women in Japanese forestry, the number of young female forestry workers who have graduated from or completed forestry college has increased in recent years due to the green employment policy. This increase followed a decline in the number of female forestry workers due to the decrease in afforestation. In Japan, the perception of living in mountain villages has shifted from being seen as a negative consequence of local marriage to a positive choice for migration, influenced by childhood experiences of nature. In Europe, on the other hand, women's group activities remain weak, and the forestry workforce is still strongly gendered.

Free Research Field

農村社会学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

森林・林業に関わる女性の現状についての研究は、内外共に未だ非常に少ない。それゆえ、実態についての詳細な研究、その課題についての研究は重要な意味を持つ。本研究は国内での学会報告、学術誌への投稿、国際会議での報告を行っており、今後のこの分野での研究に重要であると考える。
一方、近年の森林・林業における女性の育成について、林業大学校等と関連産業、緑の雇用政策の一体となった推進の成果についても言及しており、これらの協力に関する重要な意義が見いだせると考える。
本分野における欧州の研究の遅れは、この分野におけるジェンダー研究の必要を示しており、日本の研究が海外の研究および社会開発に意義を持つと考える。