What is conserved is related to who conserves

What is conserved is related to who conserves

Changing gender perspectives Ø USAID Ø Women’s position different Ø Policies on gender Ø Gender dis-aggregated data

The major custodians of the world’s biodiversity are the people who depend upon it for subsistence Define and implement priorities for conservation Who uses what? How useful is that information for policy and planning? Priorities? Guinea worm Who knows what?

Gender and dryland Livelihoods

Drylands Ø Cover at least 40% of the earths land surface Ø Direct source of livelihood for one billion people

More so than any other use today, people rely on drylands to provide forage for the production of domestic livestock. From cattle, sheep, and goat herds, to horses and camels, drylands support large numbers of domestic animals, which become the source of meat, milk, wool, and leather products for humans.

Drylands threatened Ø Ø Ø Climate change Increasing human population Land over-use Poverty Conflict Policy /government marginalization Threat to : Ø Food security Ø Survival of the people Ø Conservation of the biomass and biodiversity

Who are pastoralists? Ø Herders whose livelihoods depend on the animals they breed and tend Optimum human adaptation to the ARID and semi-ARID areas Well adapted to scarcity of resources Low ecological potential of their land Ø Cope through High level of mobility Split herd management Diversification of livestock holdings/many species Mutual support networks Ø Supplementation of income through ancillary activities such as hunting, gathering, agriculture, fishing and trade

girl herder Woman herder male herder boy herder

Facts on pastoralists Ø 30 -40 million pastoralists in the world Ø 20 -25 million are found in Africa Ø Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Eritrea, Chad and Djibouti Ø Comprise 10 -25 % of national population Ø Two thirds live below poverty line Ø Forage and livestock are their main resources Ø Main determinant of human welfare is the Ø performance of the livestock economy

Why animals? Ø bolsters subsistence level with animal products, meat and milk Ø Represent pride and wealth of owners Ø Payment: bride price Ø Quantity is always better than quality Ø Source of conflict in many areas Ø Look at it as a heritage

Changing dynamics Ø Pastoralist way of life is under pressure Ø Larger political and economic events/world bank Ø Demographic explosion Ø Forced sedentarization policies Ø Recurrent droughts and famines Ø Occupy remote frontiers : no central government control Ø Lack of good development policies & institutions Ø Conflict areas End result: impoverished pastoralists

Policies for pastoralist development Ø Little say in policy formulation and implementation Ø Occupy peripheral social political and economic positions Ø Small national budget allocation Ø Poor infrastructure Ø Aim to maximize production Ø Environmental degradation Ø Increased vulnerability to market fluctuations Ø Selling off of livestock Ø Hired herders for rich livestock owners Ø Increasing dependency on relief especially from foreign agencies Not improved livelihood security

Constraints and coping mechanisms Ø Lack of pasture/water considered normal: Adaptive strategies Ø Endemic d’se, worm burden external parasites losses through predators and theft Ø Rainfall variability that turns into drought: disastrous Ø Reduced mobility Ø Increasing population pressure Ø Drought Ø Conflict/war/raids Ø Increased dependency on non pastoral foods Ø Turn to irrigation/agriculture Ø Alternative livelihoods

Gender discrimination in dryland Ø Unequal social cultural and economic structure Ø Limited political and organizational influence Ø Translates into marginalization Ø Poverty Ø Food insecurity Ø Limited access to resources

Perception of Women Ø Reproductive actors/productive role ignore Ø Traditional image of mother and wife Ø Not involved in decision making Ø Culture conflict/war Ø Men have full control : pay dowry Ø Women perform the labor, men use the resources Ø Cattle kept for dowry and prestige Ø Small animals can be used by the woman

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Role of women in Labor provision • Collecting grass • Mudding houses/building houses • Cooking • Fetching water and firewood • Cleaning cattle areas /building animal bomas • Milking • Feeding animals • Veterinary care • Nursing new born kids/calves Resources are controlled by men

Obstacles to gender equity Ø Excessive workload Ø Difficulty in accessing the key factors of – land, water, credit, capital and appropriate technologies Ø Lack of training opportunities and of appropriate information, extension and advisory services available to them. Ø Focused Interest among policy-makers and development practitioners Illiteracy Ø Perceptions by outsiders: feel that women cannot be trained Ø as animal health workers

Equal opportunities?

Gender Awareness and sensitivity on part of service providers and policy makers • Lack of baseline data: especially on the role of women in animal health provision (e. g. : guinea worm training provided to men) • No Data dis-aggregated by gender. Assumption that men take care of the animals and treat sick animals. • Household as a monolithic unit: information provided to head of household will reach every member of the household. • Training of service providers in gender related issues includes female veterinarians. • Institutional capacity: Misconception- Scientists do not do gender! It is women’s role to do what they do.

*Training women as animal health care providers Mainstreaming gender *Traditional Knowledge already available in the community among women *When you educate a woman, you educate a nation

Women livestock keepers in conflict areas Ø Men are at war or dead Ø Women are providers and caretakers Ø Extended family: they are responsible Ø for caring for orphans and older people Ø Livestock is their only source of livelihood Ø They can move with the livestock when they are attacked

Institutional gender policies • Three categories of gender policies: – Gender- blind – Gender-aware • Gender-neutral • Gender-specific – Gender-redistributive

Gender friendly Innovations Innovation in production practices Innovation in infrastructure Innovation in delivery system Insurance Agriculture techniques Land dev. / water cons. exercises Marketing Collective farming Allied livelihood options Activism for infrastructure access and use Service delivery leading to women’s empowement

Case studies Ø What lessons can we draw from the case studies? Ø Do their approaches work and how would you change them? Ø Gender biases/blindness/sensitivity? Ø Policy implications? Ø Priorities for conservation?

Case studies Ø Involve local men and women Ø Raise awareness and provide education Ø Encourage conservation through income generation Ø Strengthen local institutions Ø Promote sustainability Ø Integrate and coordinate projects