The key to boosting environmental conservation around the world could be gender quotas. While it seems like an unlikely tool to inspire more conservation, a new study conducted in three developing countries showed that when more women are involved in group decisions about land management, the group conserves more.
The study, involving 440 forest users from Indonesia, Peru, and Tanzania, sheds new light on the role gender quotas could play in reducing global deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions while also curbing local inequalities. Previous research has also shown that women tend to have a greater affinity for the environment, support conservation measures more, and are more concerned than men are about problems of inequality.