Toward Gender-responsive Forest Governance and Climate Actions in Myanmar: Insights from a Systematic Review
Publisher: Women's Studies International Forum
Author(s): Nyein Chan, Khin Nilar Swe, Kyaw Win. Ho Thi Phuong, and Siti Kusujiarti
Date: 2026
Topics: Climate Change, Conflict Prevention, Cooperation, Gender, Governance, Land, Protection and Access to Justice
Countries: Myanmar
This study presents the first systematic review of gender dynamics in forest and climate governance in Myanmar, aiming to synthesize existing knowledge, identify research gaps, and inform policy and practice. Utilizing a structured search, 26 documents from a pool of 1027 publications were analyzed through co-word network analysis and thematic synthesis across six key areas, including gendered labor, resource access, and empowerment framing. Findings reveal persistent gender inequalities across micro, meso, and macro levels. Despite women's critical roles in local environmental management, they are systematically excluded from decision-making and equitable benefit-sharing. While national policies acknowledge gender equality, they are undermined by tokenistic implementation, weak accountability, and a lack of clear mechanisms. The study recommends shifting from superficial gender mainstreaming to gender-transformative strategies. This requires strengthening women's tenure rights and leadership, integrating gender-sensitive budgeting and monitoring, and targeted capacity-building to translate policy commitments into equitable and effective forest and climate action in Myanmar.