Nature, Causes, and Impact of Human–Wildlife Interactions on Women and Children Across Cultures

Santoshi Halder (), Mónica Ruiz-Casares (), Sakiko Yamaguchi, Helal Hossain Dhali, Roshni Mukherjee, Milagros Calderon-Moya, Arupa Mandal, Sharon Rankin, Jaswant Guzder and Ratna Ghosh
Additional contact information
Santoshi Halder: Department of Education, University of Calcutta,1 Reformatory Street, Alipore Campus, Kolkata 700027, West Bengal, India
Mónica Ruiz-Casares: School of Child & Youth Care, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada
Sakiko Yamaguchi: Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada
Helal Hossain Dhali: Department of Women and Gender Studies, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh
Roshni Mukherjee: Department of Education, University of Calcutta,1 Reformatory Street, Alipore Campus, Kolkata 700027, West Bengal, India
Milagros Calderon-Moya: Faculty of Education, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1Y2, Canada
Arupa Mandal: Department of Education, University of Calcutta,1 Reformatory Street, Alipore Campus, Kolkata 700027, West Bengal, India
Sharon Rankin: Humanities and Social Sciences Library, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0C9, Canada
Jaswant Guzder: Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry and School of Social Work, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada
Ratna Ghosh: Faculty of Education, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1Y2, Canada

World, 2025, vol. 6, issue 2, 1-23

Abstract: Despite the growing human–wildlife interactions (HWIs) globally, little attention has been paid to their effects on women and children, who often bear the brunt of loss of property and livelihoods. A systematic scoping review of four databases was undertaken to map and synthesize English-language evidence on the nature, causes, and impact of human–wildlife interactions on women and children across cultures. The 42 studies retained reveal that the proximity of human habitation to forest areas; expansion, deforestation, and encroachment of animal space; humans’ dependence on forest resources for livelihood; displacement of carnivores; and animals coming into the human space in search for food are the predominant causes of HWIs. Various types of HWIs and widely varying frequencies and durations of HWIs were reported. Individual and collective aspects of physical, psychological, economic, social, and environmental impacts on women and children were identified. The themes extracted were gendered roles, multi-factor vulnerabilities of women, religious beliefs, low participation of women in decision-making, social superstition against tiger widows, and perceptions of coexistence. Attention to perceptions of HWIs in different cultures and societies was limited, with notable gaps in the coverage of women and children and important geographic areas. These findings stress the need to bridge the geographical and cultural gap through multi-disciplinary actions on the determinants and effects of HWIs on women and children.

Keywords: wildlife; conflict; coexistence; human dimensions; human wildlife dynamics; gender-based violence; scoping review; child; culture; sustainable development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: G15 G17 G18 L21 L22 L25 L26 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 R51 R52 R58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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