Data in this section is taken from the standard IFRI database.
IFRI protocols demand that researchers spend time in each village coding variables that are used in this analysis. This data is largely
gathered through ethnographic research methods including semistructured
interviews, rapid rural appraisal, and key informant
interviews. Biological data on the forest is collected in the nearby
forests. Forest mensuration is performed; a process of randomly
selecting forest plots and taking measures related to trees, plants,
and soils. In this analysis we examine specifically the participation
of forest users in formal FUG associations The sample consists of 96 formal user group associations from
10 countries. In each group there is a governing council and from
this we assess the role of two dependent variables when analyzing
women’s participation—the number of women on the council,
given the total number of council seats available, and whether or
not the leader of the council is a woman. Appendix D reports the
summary statistics for the variables used in this analysis