Challenges and opportunities to
achieving gender parity in the
Kenyan intensive dairy sector
Katie Tavenner
International Women’s Day
Nairobi, Kenya, 8 March 2016
ILRI/flickr

Why Dairy?
• Low-emissions dairy development as ‘climate smart’
• Improving rural livelihoods
• Intersection of gender/mitigation initiatives/dairy
OnILRI.org

Gender Dynamics in Kenyan Dairy Production
Women’s management tasks
• Securing fodder
• Providing water
• Assessing & treating animal’s health needs
• Recognizing when a cow requires mating or AI
• Removing manure
• Milking the cow
Men’s management tasks
• Owning and selling the cow
• Spraying animals against ticks
• Planting fodder crops

Barriers to Gender Parity
• Cultural / gender norms around ownership and
management of dairy cattle
• Women’s “triple role” burden
• Access to extension services
• Access to productive assets and credit
• Milk marketing
• Dairy income and intra-household decision-making

Opportunities for Gender Inclusion in
Development Interventions
• Integrating women into milk cooperatives
• Strengthening women’s leadership and
participation in formal organizations
• Designing technologies with women’s capacities
and labor burden in mind
• Making the ‘business case’ for gender inclusion
OnAfricanDairyPortal

Basic Indicators for Gender Parity
• Gender of who in the household is registered with the
producer organization/HUB
• Gender of who in the household delivers the milk
• Gender of whose bank account milk sale profits are
delivered
• Number of women and youth in leadership positions /are
board members
• Number of women/youth attending and participating in
meetings

Advanced Indicators for Gender Parity
• Milk availability for children at household consumption
level
• Commensurate milk sales with women’s labor
• Ownership/control of livestock assets and technologies
• Income controlled by women from morning and evening
milk sales
• Decision-making for milk sales, cattle sales and purchases,
and animal health/breeding
• Number of hours spent on dairy-related tasks for men and
women

Promising Ways Forward
• Creation of a dairy NAMA for Kenya
• Strengthening smallholder access to markets and
appropriate technologies
• Favorable policy environment
onFlickrbyILRI/RosemaryDolan