A study in Environment and Planning F has discovered highly worrying cases of surveillance technologies misused in Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand. Technologies like drones and camera traps, originally utilized for conservation purposes, have become means of intimidation and illegal tracking of women, based on claims by the research study.
This study reveals how forest rangers, with intentions to scare them away from the forests, have flown drones over women collecting firewood and other natural resources, rights they are lawfully authorized to do. According to lead researcher Trishant Simlai of the University of Cambridge, these activities are a very worrisome extension of patriarchal domination into the spaces of the forest.
“We argue that digital technologies for forest governance tend to masculinise these spaces, reinforcing patriarchal norms,” the authors noted.
Interviews with 270 residents around the Corbett Tiger Reserve by Simlai reveal that women, who used to take solace and camaraderie in the forest, feel restrained and endangered with constant surveillance.
Forest As Refuge For Women
For many women, the forest is a safe haven away from the household pressures and problems, including violence and alcoholism. They spend much of their time in the forest gathering firewood, gossiping, and singing to keep animals at bay.
Camera traps and drones have made it impossible for women to behave as they did earlier. Women are talking and singing softly to avoid detection. It increases their vulnerability to getting caught off guard by dangerous animals such as tigers and elephants.
Simlai narrated an incident where one woman, feeling threatened already by the widespread surveillance, was attacked by a tiger.
Cases Of Harassment
The researchers also established some shocking harassment cases. A camera trap deployed for recording wildlife snapped one woman as she used the forest as an open toilet. The image was shared via social media, especially Facebook and WhatsApp, as an act of bullying.
“These technologies, masquerading as wildlife conservation tools, are being weaponised against local women,” said Simlai.
Conservation Ethics Implications
The discovery has opened up a debate among conservationists. Chris Sandbrook, a professor at the University of Cambridge and one of the co-authors, underscored the unintended negative consequences that these technologies have.
“While these tools are crucial for monitoring wildlife, this study underscores the urgent need to ensure they do not infringe on human privacy or well-being,” said Sandbrook.
The researchers argue that the conservation efforts must take into account the subtle ways that local women engage with forest spaces. In regions such as northern India, where the identity of women is deeply related to their daily activities in forests, any governance approach must be inclusive and considerate of their needs.
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