This article seeks to identify how gender stratification and cultural norms impact women's participation in environmental policy projects through the examination of a community forestry project as a case study. The author suggests that women play a critical role in natural resource management, and are therefore major stakeholders that should participate in the development of environmental policies within a community. However, women are frequently excluded from policy-making processes due to their culturally defined status within society. The article concludes with recommendations for further research and the inclusion of marginalized groups in policy-making.