Legal and policy framework Institutional set up and mechanisms

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1. Legal and policy framework

1.1 What international and national legal frameworks are in place to support the gender mainstreaming process towards achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment in the forest sector? 1.2 How consultative is the forestry planning and policy development process? Who are consulted and how? 1.3 How gender sensitive is forest policies and laws and to what extent have they been implemented? 1.4 What are the key challenges and opportunities faced while implementing policies and enforcing laws? 1.5 What factors have caused these challenges and what has the response of key stakeholders towards eliminating the challenges been like? 1.6 What legal and policy support systems have to be further strengthened to facilitate the mainstreaming of gender into forest policies?

2. Institutional set up and mechanisms

2.1 What structures and mechanisms are in place that enables the gender sensitive participatory forestry planning and monitoring process? 2.2 Is there a separate coordination unit within the forest department and the line ministry responsible for liaising among existing planning and policy development committees, task teams and other relevant divisions to promote and support gender mainstreaming in forest policies and programmes? If yes, what are the key mandates of such a unit? 2.3 Are there gender focal points andor gender working units within the ministry and the forest department? If yes, do they have any specific terms of reference and work plans? 2.4 Does the current structure have a mechanism to solicit feedback and comments from gender and social experts, civil society organizations and development partners on strengthening gender mainstreaming process in the forest sector? 2.5 Do officials in the forest department and the line ministry have adequate capacity to explore and analyse the impact of policy on both genders? 2.6 Are women allocated specific slots at the boards of key national forestry institutions? If yes, what are the current board compositions like?

3. Human and financial resources