Overall development of a country cannot take place without the participation of its female work force. At a time when climate change and the role of forestation are the top agenda for nations across the globe, we cannot overlook the role of women in social forestry. Tahsina Akhter comprehends the dire need of national economic development by means of taking up the issue of poverty alleviation and the role of women in social forestry. This book delves deep into the issue, examining the role of social forestry in reducing the poverty of women in the rural areas of the country.
The book connects women and social forestry as two most affected groups and explores thoroughly how they help each other struggle against poverty. It begins by reviewing, measuring and defining poverty. The book defines poverty as being denied access to a package of resources. The resource package includes both technical resources and social networks necessary to maintain survival. Then it gives elaborate details of poverty seen in Bangladesh. In a developing country like Bangladesh it is difficult to find a woman living without any tree-related activity in the rural areas. Forestry has become an obvious part of their daily life. The book examines the causes of why women, despite their involvement in forestry, remain unrecognised, why they are not the right beneficiaries of their active participation.
There is invaluable historical insight into the beginning of women studies. Then, moving up in time, the book evaluates women's inclusion and efforts to get involved with mainstream development on a global scale. In this context, it focuses on the traditional status of women and goes into an in-depth study of women in a natural environment, especially forestry. With reference to Bangladesh, it is stated,
"Women in rural Bangladesh are an intimate part of nature, both in imagination and in practice. At one level nature is symbolized as the embodiment of the feminine principle, and at another, she is nurtured by the feminine to produce life and provide sustenance. (Shiva, 1989)
It continues with women's integration in the development of Bangladesh. It is a study that shows that compared to women men enjoy more hours of rest and recreation both during intermediate and slack seasons. Women still are the silent substance bearers. In this regard there is an exclusive study of the UNDP's Report on Gender Gap of Bangladesh. There is also a detailed study of women's integration in the development of Bangladesh in both government and private sectors.
The book comes with some interesting illustrations of its subjects. The background of forestry begins with the historical accounts of man's beginning to use forestry for food and tools. It moves on to a historical evaluation of the place of forestry in the early civilisation of the Indian subcontinent. Forest management systems and policy in Bangladesh include forest management during British era, Pakistani period and continues on to the Bangladesh period. Studies reveal that social forestry is becoming increasingly significant in Bangladesh in view of certain important factors. The studies show how the country is trying to merge social forestry with women's economic gains. The contexts are not only related to the deteriorating situation in the forestry sector but also have linkages with a large number of other macro and micro level social, economic and ecological facts and parameters. There is significant information regarding depleting government forests, uneven distribution of natural forests, decline of homestead forests, social forestry in Bangladesh and intensive land use as a result of high population density. Included in the book are some interesting case studies.
In upholding forest, women and poverty alleviation, the book indicates that women's relation with forestry has always been intimate in all rural civilisations. It goes into intense detailed discussions of forestry and poverty alleviation, focusing on the roles of NGOs in social forestry and rural development. The roles of Grameen Bank, BRAC and other NGOs are held up in their varied respective light. Here it is noted that the initial area of skill training many NGOs were found to be costly. Comparatively Grameen Bank's approach, which emphasised the financing of traditional mercantile and animal husbandry skills, was found to be more economical. This chapter also sheds light on safe water, use of chemicals on crops, pesticides and preservation of seeds. Here we see that rural women want to be the preserver of seeds. Women generally do not possess land. Possession of seeds, therefore, is crucial for them to assert their positive and powerful role in an agrarian culture.
There are revealing discussions of the social, cultural and economic conditions of the village and respondents. There is socioeconomic and demographic profile of the study villages. The work explores the place of women in forestry programmes and activities of rural women in Bangladesh in relevant areas. A survey finding of household consumption, income-employment and contingency states that people in rural Bangladesh are more or less dependent on their own food, fruit, fuel, fodder and timber as well as for income also. Though women are always somehow engaged in preparing homestead food, collecting and doing other forestry-related works, they are not in that income or self-reliance motivated situation. Some women have developed their status both in economic and social sectors. However there is absence of governmental or informal type forestry activities to help women to upgrade their condition. In conclusion, the book states that women are still fighting against deprivation in societies worldwide; they have not yet gained the totality of spirit to reach their goal. But there is the movement for women to become the main food producer. Here the suggestion is for a developing country like Bangladesh to have clear, transparent and democratic governance and policies that will lead to a process of overall poverty alleviation focusing on issues relating to the vulnerable and the destitute.
The Role of Social Forestry in Poverty Alleviation of Rural Women: A Sociological Study is an invaluable contribution to both social and economic studies. It is a thesis that is expected to help policy makers, gender specialists, forest department, foreign investors and researchers and scholars. Bengal before colonial rule was known as the bread basket of India. Through timely intervention and active recognition of the role of women in poverty alleviation the future researchers of the country can think ahead and mend the 'basket'. Perhaps we will wait for our future generation will dwell extensively on the issue?

Tulip Chowdhury is a critic and teacher.