Economists studying environmental collective action and green governance have paid little attention to gender research on gender and green governance in other disciplines has focused mainly on womens near absence from forestry institutions this interdisciplinary book turns that focus on its head to what if women were present in these institutions? what difference would that make? would womens inclusion in forest governance - undeniably important for equity - also affect decisions on forest use and outcomes for conservation and subsistence? are womens interests in forests different from mens? would womens presence lead to better forests and more equitable access? does it matter which class of women governs? and how large a presence of women would make an impact? answers to these questions can prove foundational for effective environmental governance yet they have hardly been empirically investigated in an analysis that is conceptually sophisticated and statistically rigorous, using primary data on community forestry institutions in india and nepal, this book is the first major study to comprehensively address these wide-ranging issues it traces womens history of exclusion from public institutions, the factors which constrain their effective participation, and how those constraints can be overcome it outlines how strategic partnerships between forestry and other civil society institutions could strengthen rural womens bargaining power with community and government and it examines the complexities of eliciting government accountability in addressing poor rural womens needs, such as for clean domestic fuel and access to the commons