Women's needs in conservation and development projects: The case of Bwindi forest (Uganda)

That there should be a balance between the needs of nature conservation and the needs of people is now widely recognised and accepted by conservationists. This gradual recognition has come about as a result of increased and persistent amount of pressure of people on protected natural resources •. The positive result of this process has been a recognition among nature conservationists that the success of protecting reserves/park areas depends ultimately on the support of the people that are directly affected by them (Kamstra, 1994). As such in Uganda strategies have been laid by both government and international environmental conservation organisations to ensure that the iocal people not only participate in managing the protection of these rese·rves but also share the benefits accruing from there.