curve for other women seeking council positions. However, the
leadership of forest councils remains elusive for women. Furthermore,
when council seats are acquired competitively, women are
less likely than men to win positions. This may point towards an
unfavorable playing field that discourages women’s leadership
(Franceschet and Piscopo, 2008). While individual attributes such
as education and wealth may contribute to discouraging women’s
leadership, cultural norms, societal practices and lack of institutional
support may also disadvantage women’s attempts at gaining
leadership. Rural societies in many developing countries have a
parochial view of leadership. Men are often perceived as ‘natural’
leaders and women’s ‘natural’ position as wives and mothers in
domestic settings (Tiessen, 2008). Leadership is thus a masculine
trait and women’s competency for leadership increasingly scrutinized.
Competition for leadership may thus decrease the likelihood
of women being voted in as leaders, with voters supporting
candidates that are men. Moreover, women’s time constraints may
restrict their ability to participate