Jemimah Njuki

Livestock and Women’s Livelihoods

Livestock make substantial contributions to the livelihoods of poor women in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, yet the factors that enhance or constrain livestock-related opportunities for women have received relatively little empirical analysis. This review applies a gender lens to a conceptual framework for understanding the role of livestock in pathways out of poverty, using a livelihoods approach that centralizes the importance of assets, markets, and other institutions. The three hypothesized livestock pathways out of poverty are (1) securing current and future assets, (2) sustaining and improving the productivity of agricultural systems in which livestock are important, and (3) facilitating greater participation of the poor in livestock-related markets. While these three pathways are distinct, with each requiring particular strategies and interventions to be successful, they are not mutually exclusive. The chapter summarizes what is known for each pathway and what these pathways imply for programmatic and policy interventions.

Can dairy value-chain projects change gender norms in rural Bangladesh? Impacts on assets, gender norms, and time use

Value-chain projects are increasingly being used to link smallholders to markets. However, in contexts where women tend to own and control fewer assets than men, and are more likely to be involved in informal rather than formal market activities, there is potential for value-chain projects to have unintended consequences on gender dynamics.

Gender, Assets, and Agricultural Development: Lessons from Eight Projects

Highlights • We synthesize the findings of 8 impact evaluations of agricultural projects.• Four projects increased some types of women’s individually-owned assets.• Jointly-owned assets are a significant part of asset portfolios.• Agricultural development projects should pay closer attention to asset ownership.

The gendered impacts of agricultural asset transfer projects: Lessons from the Manica Smallholder Dairy Development Program:

Abstract This article explores the gendered impacts of a development project that provided dairy training and a superior breed of cattle to households as part of a broader effort to develop a smallholder-friendly, market-oriented dairy value chain in the Manica province of Mozambique. The project first targeted households, registered cows in the names of the household heads, and, initially, trained these cow owners in various aspects of dairy production and marketing. Subsequently, the training was expanded to two members per household to increase the capacity within households to care for cows, a change that resulted in the training of a significant number of women. Using qualitative and quantitative data on dairy production and consumption, and on gendered control over income and assets, the article explores how men and women participated in and benefited from the Manica Smallholder Dairy Development Program (MSDDP). We found that despite being registered in the name of men, in practice, dairy cattle are in some cases viewed as jointly owned by both men and women. Beneficiary households dramatically increased dairy production and income, with men, women, and children all contributing labor to this endeavor. Women’s incentives for participation in dairy were less clear. Despite their recognized rights and responsibilities related to dairy cow management, women exercised relatively little control over milk and milk income as compared to men. This article explores the various monetary and nonmonetary benefits of MSDDP and dairying for women along with their implications for the level of effort put in by women, and the overall project outcomes.

Can Market-Based Approaches to Technology Development and Dissemination Benefit Women Smallholder Farmers? A Qualitative Assessment of Gender Dynamics in the Ownership, Purchase, and Use of Irrigation Pumps in Kenya and Tanzania

This paper reports findings from a qualitative study undertaken in Tanzania and Kenya to examine women’s access to and ownership of KickStart pumps and the implications for their ability to make major decisions on crop choices and use of income from irrigated crops. Results from sales-monitoring data show that women purchase less than 10 percent of the pumps and men continue to make most of the major decisions on crop choices and income use. These findings vary by type of crop, with men making major decisions on high-income crops such as tomatoes and women having relatively more autonomy on crops such as leafy vegetables.