This volume presents encounters with rural men and women in South Asian and Southeast Asian countries working for local and national governments and for non-governmental organizations. Six case studies are offered to highlight the diversity of efforts to integrate social and gender analysis into natural resource management research. These cases present examples of challenges and opportunities, as well as successes and disappointments encountered while integrating social and gender analysis. They also demonstrate the variety of methods used and adapted in diverse contexts, reflect on what has been done and is being done in terms of capacity development and, most importantly, how this is being done and the factors that affect the process.