The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) supports women in livestock development by ensuring that they benefit and are empowered through livestock. It does this by developing the capabilities of women to benefit from livestock production. Capabilities in this sense can range from developing capacities to access and use productivity technologies to developing aspirations for women to run livestock enterprises. This is in line with the institute’s strategic objective of increasing the capacity of ILRI and its key stakeholders to make better use of livestock science and investments for better lives through livestock. To enhance the capacity of its women scientists, ILRI has benefited from the African Women in Agricultural Research and D Continue reading
Category Archives: Women
Achieving gender-equitable outcomes in low emissions development initiatives in the Kenyan dairy sector
Achieving global goals of lowering livestock’s greenhouse gas emissions is hinged on changing the practices (feeding, herd management and manure management) of smallholder households. Animal husbandry is characterized by gendered division of labour, resource control and decision-making power, with men mainly claiming ownership of animals while women provide labour. Farmers worldwide are known to be motivated to adopt practices that enhance productivity and profitability. Continue reading
Empowering researchers to undertake gender responsive agricultural research in Ethiopia
The Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research organized a seven-day staff training workshop in August 2018 which focused on addressing the identified gender capacity needs among researchers and top management. A total of 24 gender focal persons were trained. Continue reading
Leveraging higher demand for livestock-derived foods to meet nutritional needs of the world’s poor
A recent study of the ‘Contributions of livestock-derived foods to nutrient supply under changing demand in low- and middle-income countries’ shows that demand for livestock-derived foods will grow substantially to year 2050 in eight countries that are currently facing food security and nutrient supply challenges. Continue reading
Understanding the dynamics of empowerment among rural women in Ethiopia
Local sociocultural norms and an individual’s ability to meet socially constructed roles determine our understanding of the ‘empowerment’ of women and men in rural communities. These were the findings of a study in Ethiopia that tested the suitability of an existing survey-based Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index’s (WEAI) domains and indicators. Continue reading
Livestock key to ending poverty and hunger in developing countries
Livestock policies that favour the poor have been shown to be effective in lifting families beyond mere subsistence, generating a ripple effect of benefits for them, their communities and even their countries. Continue reading
Smallholder farmers’ perceptions of adopting improved diets for pigs in Uganda
Recent study by ILRI shows that pig ownership and labour investment by women in male-headed households did not guarantee that women made decisions or benefited from pig-enterprise income. The threat of domestic violence also inhibited their decision-making ability. Continue reading
Rural women diplomats – Mediation of a longstanding conflict in the Volta River Basin
What role do women in rural settings play in resolving potential conflicts around the use and benefits of land and water? A newly published study highlights the role of women in fostering constructive dialogue about water use among different beneficiaries. Continue reading
Tools and training materials to help mainstream gender in Humidtropics activities
To support mainstreaming of gender into Humidtropics research, the program developed four classroom-training modules to be used by facilitators of innovation platforms, covering: Control of Assets (CoA); Power & Decision-Making (PDM); Needs, Priorities and Perceptions (NPP); Barriers to Participation (BtP) Continue reading
New guide outlines options for integrating gender equity and social inclusion in low-emissions dairy production interventions
A recently published research report highlights that in order to appropriately address gender and socially inclusive development in the Kenyan dairy sector, any intervention must take into consideration the substantive cultural gender issues that are at play at both the household and producer organization levels. Continue reading