Cornelia Butler Flora Distinguished Professor of Agriculture and Sociology Iowa State University Director, North Central Regional Center for Rural Development Profesora Visitante, Departamento de Fitotecnica, Universidad Nacional Agraria-La Molina, Peru Women and Natural Resource Mangagement in the Andes SANREM CRSP Jan L. Flora Professor of Sociology Iowa State University Profesor Visitante, Departamento de Fitotecnica Universidad Nacional Agraria-La Molina, Peru

FUNDACION HEIFER NGO Runa Tupari Native travel MUNICIPIO DE URCUQUÍ

Political Capital Cultural Capital Natural Capital Human Capital Financial Capital Social Capital Healthy Ecosystem Vital Economy Social Well-Being Built Capital

Natural Capital Air Water Soils Biodiversity Landscape Natural capital provides the possibilities and limits for human action. Men and women have different uses and access to natural capital. With increasing male out-migration, women often have responsibility without control for both communal and individual land.

Cultural Capital Symbols Ways of knowing Ways of being Cosmovision Language Definition of what can be changed Women’s cultural capital provides a special manner of viewing the world, defining which things have value, and which things are possible to change. Cultural hegemony results in a devalorization of women’s cultural capital and their knowledge of how to manage natural resources.

Human Capital Educacion Abilities Health Self-esteem Leadership Young women have the same level of formal education as men, while older women are likely to be mono-lingual in an indigenous language and illiterate. All women have special problems of health and less leadership and management opportunities.

Social Capital Mutual trust Reciprocity Groups Collective identity Sense of a shared future Working together Social capital has two dimensions: bridging and bonding. Women’s social capital in the Andes tends to be bonding and there are boundaries to women forming bridging social capital.

PoliticAl Capital Good grassroots organization Connections between the base and organizations at other levels. Voice for excluded people Access to and use of power Women have little ability to influence the distribution of resources in the family, community, or region. Rural women generally participate very little in the organizations which manage natural resources and do not feel comfortable around powerful people who do control them. Their strategic intrests are not part of the natural resource management agenda.

Financial Capital Loans and credit Investments Taxes, payments for econsystem services Earnings, Savings Grants Women have little access to their own savings, which they mainly use for household emergencies. Women’s groups receive donations from various sources, but these are seldom to help them with natural resource management. Instead, such donations as the Vaso de Leche program, create dependency. Many women want to invest in their own land.

Built Capital Homes Sewers Roads Health centers Electronic communication Machinery Technology Poor rural women have less access to infrastructure which could decrease their domestic work or increase their productive efficiency. Inappropriate technology has negative impacts on natural and human capital.

Conclusions Women in Cotacachi have cultural capital that could contribute to improved natural resource management Women in Cotacachi have a low access and control of the capitals that could enhance their management of natural resouces. Programs that involve women in natural resource management are more successful when they address their strategic needs related to a healthy ecosystem.