Funding: IGF
Duration: since 2010
Project manager: Dr. Mathilde Schmitt
Project assistants: Dr. Valerie Braun, Matthias Wenzel

The EC Directive on developing and implementing Gender Mainstreaming, in accordance with the European theme of being 'united in diversity', requires that a gender perspective be integrated into all policies, including those on regional development and protected areas. To date no publications are available to gauge whether gender-specific issues have already been integrated into the work of protected areas in the Alps. Nor do we know whether there are any gender differences in the perception of Alpine protected areas as living and work space or in terms of education and recreation. General social science literature suggests that it is the protected areas concepts for education, public relations and research that most need to take the different life worlds and interests of men and women, boys and girls, into account.

This project is based on semi-structured expert interviews and an online survey of protected areas management in the Alps and investigates:

in which matters of protected mountain areas gender differentiation is considered important,

• how relevant gender perspectives are for officials of the protected areas,
• which gender-equitable action strategies have already been planned or realized,
• the interviewees’ understanding of gender mainstreaming and the significance they attribute to it,
• how gender-sensitive the communication with the public is (website, folders),
• whether socio-economic monitoring exists that differentiates between men and women,
• whether protected areas staff is trained in considering gender aspects in their education work,
• staff composition,
• if gender-specific differences exist in the region regarding the acceptance of the protected area,
• how strong the efforts are to integrate gender-specific issues more into the concepts for Alpine protected areas in the future.

Presentations

Schmitt, Mathilde (2013) Integrating gender-specific issues - an opportunity for protected mountain areas. Poster zum Schwerpunkttag „Alpiner Raum – Mensch und Umwelt: The Mountain Competence. Vernetztes Forschen im Alpinen Raum“. Innsbruck, 22.03.13.

Schmitt, Mathilde (2012) Integrating gender-specific issues - an opportunity for protected mountain areas? Paper at the XIII World Congress of Rural Sociology „The New Rural World. From Crisis to Opportunity”, Lissabon, Portugal, 02.08.12, p 54. 

Schmitt, Mathilde (2011) Do we need gender equality for sustainable regional development? Paper at the conference “Managing Alpine Future II”, Innsbruck, Österreich, 22.11.11. Published in: Borsdorf, Axel/Stötter, Johann/Veuillet, Eric (eds.) Managing Alpine Future II. Proceedings. Innsbruck: Innsbruck University Press, 2011, p 394-402.

Schmitt, Mathilde (2010) Acceptance and relevance of gender (mainstreaming) aspects in Alpine protected areas. Paper at the congress “Global Change and the World's Mountains”, organized by the Center for Mountain Studies, Perth College/MRI Mountain Research Initiative Europe/UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Mountain Development, Perth, Scotland, 29.09.10, p 358.