To advance VDT's commitment to have the practices of eco-forestry result in village men and women working together as equal partners in the sustainable development of their natural resources, and increasing the general quality of life in their community.

Logging and Forestry are predominately male activities, reinforcing the dominant role that men have in most villages. Many of the decisions being made regarding the development of village forest resources are being made by men, and incomes earned are primarily received by the male residents. Gender related issues, and the other social consequences of villages generally expanding into the cash economy, pose a potential threat to the achieving of sustainable development. Awareness training, balanced planning, careful implementation and community support facilities are essential if VDT and its partners are to avoid unbalanced and perhaps detrimental growth. The VDT Gender and Social Issues Programmes are intended to support men and women to work in partnership to achieve an increase in the quality of life for all village residents. In preparation for the recruitment of the new Director of Gender and Social Issues the following activities were undertaken over the last year:

Training for the establishment of a drum oven at Lababia Village:

The women are now able to generate cash income by selling items to the men that work on the portable sawmill, sell fish, and those women and men who are involved in the building and operation of VDT's Training Centre and Guest House.

Guest house & eco-tourism training:

The VDT Training Centre will eventually provide guest facilities for researches, students, and eco-tourists. The women of Lababia were taken on a number of field trips to experience other guest houses and to meet with women from other parts of the country to share experiences. During the last few months eco-tourism awareness and catering workshops have also been conducted at Lababia village.

Fishing Project Support:

Some of the women have expressed an interest in participating in the community fishing project. Much of this activity has involved bookkeeping. VDT has provided training and field support.

A Networking Meeting in Lae

VDT sponsored a meeting of woman to help establish the common needs and concerns of women who live in villages with an operational small sawmill project.

Village meetings (workshops )with the women of Lababia

At these meetings women have been able to discuss their challenges, concerns, and plans for their community. One of the above projects, the bake oven, was developed directly from discussions in just such a meeting.

With the recent recruitment of the Director of Gender & Social Issues, workshops will begin to include the locations of other VDT activities. For instance, work will be done with the villagers where VDT is supporting portable sawmill operations under the Village Eco-Timber Project. The work of the Gender & Social Issues desk will also not be limited to women's issues but will encompass those broader topics that the community generally feels are important to a balanced and sustainable approach to development.