This presentation was held by J.M.K Ojango, J.Audho, E. Oyelng, A. Galie, J. Philipsson & A.M. Okeyo at the international seminar 'Livestock Resources for Food Security in the Light of Climate Change' co-hosted by SIANI and SLU Global in Uppsala on the 11th of March 2016.

1. OPTIONS FOR INDIGENOUS ANIMAL GENETIC
RESOURCES WHEN GENDER COMES INTO PLAY
J.M.K. Ojango, J. Audho, E.
Oyieng, A. Galie, J.
Philipsson,
& A.M. Okeyo
InternaKonal Seminar 11th March 2016- Department of Animal Breeding and GeneKcs,
SLU Global and SIANI:
Livestock Resources for food security in the light of climate change

2. IntroducKon: Sub-Saharan Africa
2
• 300 million people live on less than
$2 per day
• 90% of animal products are
produced and consumed in the
same country or region
• A large proporKon of animal
products are produced by
smallholders
• 43% of the agricultural workforce
is female

3. Gender Mainstreaming in Livestock ProducKon
Ø There is a strong link between improvement in livestock
producKvity and improved livelihoods
Ø There is need to understand socio-cultural interacKons
between communiKes and their different livestock
Ø Men and women have differenKal roles, prioriKes and
preferences as keepers of locally adapted livestock breeds
ü Gender asset dispari,es related to livestock result from social norms,
market condi,ons and government policies
Ø InformaKon is however limited on the opportuni(es
livestock related interven(ons could offer women

4. Gender Mainstreaming in Livestock ProducKon
Ø IdenKfying value chain segments where women are found
and enhancing their value can increase women’s benefits
from livestock
Ø Interest is oaen not to maximize producKon, but rather to
avoid risks, and cope with unexpected shocks (droughts,
diseases)
Ø The fate of any livestock asset in a community is closely
related to its use

5. Theory of Change
Reduce the
Gender Livestock
Asset Gap
Improve
livelihoods

6. FuncKons of animals in rural communiKes
Buffer in Kmes of uncertainty
Savings for anKcipated future expenses
Social Currency (bride price, life cycle events)
Consump(on—nutriKon for household
Income for cash flow

7. Endearing QualiKes of Indigenous Animals
v Small body size= easily constrained
v Low input requirement= less labour for maintainance
v Good temperament = easy to handle and manage
v Thrive on local feed resources= adaptability
v Few health problems
v Able to reproduce with likle intervenKons = good
ferKlity
v Generally breed true = no drasKc fluctuaKons in
phenotypic characterisKcs

8. Roles of women in rural animal producKon in Africa
Women manage and care for animals
ü Young stock, sick animals and milking
animals are oaen responsibility of
women
Women provide labour for feeding, and
contribute to the producKon of
marketable products:
ü Cured hides, wool
ü Milk, Eggs
ü Dung cakes for fuel
Women contribute to strategic decision making
ü Use of alternaKve livestock products
ü Influence decision making eg on disposal/
retenKon of animals

9. Case 1: AlternaKve products from Sheep in
Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) of Kenya
q Changing climatic conditions resulted in an increased
frequency and severity of droughts in ASAL
q From 2008-2009, Animal mortalities were very high and
there was habitat loss
q Dependency of human populations:
food aid
q Indigenous sheep continued to thrive
in spite of the change

10. § Indigenous sheep breeds exist across the East African
Countries: Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Somalia & Uganda
§ Well adapted to the environment, tolerate droughts
§ Have demonstrated geneKc resistance to intesKnal
worm infecKons

11. Ø For welfare of their families, women
milked the sheep when the cows died
(Men would not milk sheep, but consumed sheep milk)
Ø Women were requested by a processor to sell their surplus
sheep milk (Market Opportunity)
Ø A self-help women’s group was formed around collecKon
and markeKng of sheep milk
ü Ensured a minimum volume of sheep milk was available for sale on a
weekly basis
ü Implemented hygiene and quality control standards for milk
marketed

12. Ø Women requested training on
management of sheep in ASAL
Ø They then strategically influenced the
selecKon and use of Rams within their
flocks
Ø Group keeps wriken records on the
performance of their select animals

13. Sale of sheep milk enable women to:
Ø Purchase household assets (new
chairs, tables, cups and plates)
Ø Support higher educaKon for their
children
Ø Create employment for youth in the
collecKon, transportaKon and freezing
of the milk prior to sale

14. Case 2: Livestock producKon in Climate
smart villages
Nyando basin was a rich agricultural flood plain near
lake Victoria.
Changing climaKc condiKons have resulted in changes in
precipitaKon pakerns: Long dry spells followed by very
heavy rainfall

15. Area has a high populaKon density
Land sizes are very small: Less than 1 Ha
Challenge of HIV aids has resulted in a high rate of
poverty
Interven(on
Ø Concept of “climate smart villages”
Ø Use parKcipatory group approaches to idenKfy and
test a porpolio of agricultural intervenKons to
improve livelihoods

16. InnovaKon Plaporm Approach
Series of community meeKngs held through which
groups determine prioriKes
Improving sheep and goat producKon idenKfied as a
need
Women in communiKes were able to make
decisions related to purchase and sale of sheep
without reference to men or oldest male child in
family (some,mes only a teenager)
Men in communiKes tended to manage and control
the goat producKon

17. CharacterisKcs of local Sheep and Goats
§ Crosses of unspecified breed types
§ Slow rates of growth: took upto 4 years from
birth to maturity
§ Very small mature body size: 20-25 kg
§ High rate of inbreeding: No control of maKng
implemented
§ Mortality rates were high, parKcularly in sheep
§ Goats were beker able to handle the changing
terrain

18. IntervenKons insKtuted
§ Community groups trained on management of sheep
and goats
§ Sheep and goats were tagged, and recording of their
performance and movement insKtuted
§ Improved indigenous breeds of sheep and goats able
to cope with humid environments were introduced
from distant populaKons
§ Community based breeding and management is being
insKtuted, with Men keenly monitoring the Goats, and
women keenly monitoring the sheep

19. Concluding remarks
v Gender differences in ownership and use of livestock
can be opKmally used to impact communiKes
v A Gender transformaKve approach to research in
development helps to promote equitable progress
v There is a need to develop gender responsive input,
process and progress indicators for monitoring
evaluaKng and learning when implemenKng
community based livestock improvement programs

20. Acknowledgement
q ILRI KapiK ranch
q Pastoral communiKes
q CCAFS Project farmers and Partners
q CollaboraKng partners

21. The presenta,on has a Crea,ve Commons licence. You are free to re-use or distribute this work, provided credit is given to ILRI.
Thank you