Gender
Diversity in income-generating activities for sedentarized pastoral women in northern Kenya
How do East African pastoralist women adapt to living in towns?
Authors:
I. Nduma; P. Kristjanson; J. McPeak
Publisher:
International Livestock Research Institute , 2000
This article explores how women adopt new town-based income generation activties as they settle around market centres. The study focuses on this process among East Africa pastoralists. The study finds that:
- while settling in or near towns presents women with new opportunities, household poverty may prevent them from exploiting these opportunities or lead them to adopt environmentally unsustainable survival strategies that contribute to the localized degradation of the natural resource base
- small scale trading, has become increasingly important as market integration increases in northern Kenya
- Korr women are by no means all pursuing the same income generating activities
The article recommends that potential poverty alleviation strategies include:
- emphasis on research and investments aimed at improvements in milk marketing opportunities and efficiencies
- increasing regional employment opportunities
- strengthening collective action by pastoral women
- increasing women's level of participation in decision making aimed at sustainable use of natural resources
