Policy Justice for Natural Resource Management: Advancing Women's Participation in Public Administration

Abstract

This paper examines the intersection of gender justice and natural resource management (NRM) policy, arguing that meaningful women's participation in policy development and implementation represents a fundamental requirement for equitable and sustainable public administration. Through critical analysis of existing policy frameworks and empirical evidence from Southeast Asian contexts, this study demonstrates that exclusionary governance structures perpetuate unequal access to resources, decision-making authority, and benefit-sharing arrangements. The paper proposes an integrated framework of "gendered administrative justice" that repositions women not merely as beneficiaries but as essential agents in shaping natural resource governance. We contend that justice in NRM policy necessitates structural transformations in institutional participation mechanisms, epistemic recognition of women's ecological knowledge, and redistributive mechanisms that acknowledge women's differential vulnerability to resource degradation. This framework offers both theoretical advancement and practical pathways for public administrators and policymakers seeking to operationalize gender-responsive governance in resource management contexts.