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Author: CRS
County(s):
Isiolo
Marasabit
Samburu
Turkana
Technical Area(s):
Animal Milk
Gender
Livelihoods

This analysis reviewed information and identified knowledge gaps in mobility, sedentarisation, and changing generational and traditional systems and social safety nets roles. Sendendarisation, either by moving closer to towns or shifting to focus more on cultivation and less on pastoralism, is increasingly common in the arid and semi-arid lands. Findings are mixed as to whether sedentarisation improves or worsens nutrition, as poorer households struggle to find sustainable livelihoods outside pastoralism and better-off households take advantage of emerging opportunities. Mobility is both central and essential to pastoral and agro-pastoral livelihoods, and can improve household access to animal products. Modernization has changed not only the system of governance of numerous pastoral groups, but also generational roles and gender dynamics, notably with decision making, control of assets, and income-generation opportunities. Customary and kin-based social safety nets in pastoral societies entail the redistribution of resources from wealthier to poorer kin; this does not seem to be as common in sedentarized communities in northern Kenya.

Learning Brief

Gender Gap Analysis (PDF, 471.24 KB)

Full Report(s)

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