African Journal of Gender and Women Studies

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 4, April 2026 | pp. 17–25
DOI: 10.46882/AJGWS2026000201

Article Type: Case Study
Title: Ecosystem Restoration and Gender-Differentiated Labor in Community-Led Agroforestry
Names of Authors: Zainab Alao¹, Hellen Njoroge²
Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Department of Geography, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria, ²Faculty of Environmental Studies, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract: Climate adaptation initiatives in semi-arid zones frequently rely on rural female labor, though institutional property rights rarely mirror this participation. This empirical case study investigates a community-led agroforestry scheme across n = 280 household plots to assess gender-differentiated work distribution and resource control. Time-use metrics demonstrate that women contribute an average of 68 percent of manual conservation labor, yet hold land management voting parity of less than rho = 0.25. Regression modeling shows that adjusting community leadership structures to enforce a 50 percent female quota improves tree seedling survival parameters by mu = plus/minus 22.4 percent (F(2, 277) = 19.8, p < 0.01). The research demonstrates that sustainable ecosystem restoration depends directly on securing formal land tenure safety margins for female agrarian workers.

Keywords: Agroforestry, Ecosystem restoration, Gendered labor, Climate adaptation, Land tenure

Manuscript Timeline: Received: 05 January 2026, Revised: 10 February 2026, Accepted: 01 March 2026, Published: 12 April 2026

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