Challenges Facing Women in The Zero - Grazing Livestock Production System In Ken
Published on Institute of Anthropology, Gender & African Studies (http://africanstudies.uonbi.ac.ke)
Challenges Facing Women in The Zero - Grazing
Livestock Production System In Kenya: A Case Of Karuri
Location, Kiambu County
Challenges Facing Women in The Zero - Grazing Livestock
Production System In Kenya: A Case Of Karuri Location, Kiambu
County
Degree Programme: Master of Arts in Gender and Development Studies [1]
Student Names: Mwangi, Karen W.
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Year of Study: 2
Smallholder dairy production provides self-employment for most of the rural population in the
Kenyan highlands. Zero-grazing dairy livestock production has continued to grow over the years as
the preferred dairy production system due to such factors as land size. Women participation in dairy
production is significant given their role in agricultural production. The study sought to examine the
challenges facing women participation in zero-grazing livestock production in Karuri sub-location.
The study objectives were to identify factors affecting women participation in the zero - grazing dairy
production system in Karuri location, and to establish the level of empowerment of women practicing
zero - grazing dairy production system in Karuri location. The study conducted a literature review
which included the challenges facing women in zero-grazing dairy livestock production, factors
constraining their participation in zero-grazing dairy livestock production and initiatives promoting
women participation in zero-grazing dairy livestock production. This also included the theoretical
framework on which the study was premised which was the women empowerment framework. The
study adopted a descriptive research design. The study adopted the convenience and purposive
sampling techniques to identify the respondents of the study. The respondents were 51 women and
women leaders and livestock production officers as key informants of the study. The primary tools
for data collection were the survey technique, key informant interviews and the Focus Group
Discussion. The study found that women are overburdened by productive roles of zero-grazing dairy
production and this may have a negative impact on their health status and on their effective
participation in reproductive and community roles Access to credit was the major constraining factor
among the respondents. Women's lack of control over resources such as land and dairy cattle,
cultural attitude towards dairy farming perception that dairy farming is for those who are not welleducated and that it is a lay man's activity due to its intensive nature are all challenges. In regard to
measures to improve women participation in zero-grazing dairy farming, majority of the respondents
indicated that they were not aware of initiatives to support women participation in zero-grazing dairy
production system. The government and the Kiambaa Dairy Cooperative Society were the most
prominent supporters of women efforts in zero-grazing. These included services such as marketing
services for the milk produced, value addition processes and education and training in effective dairy
production. The study recommends that women should be supported to have enough dairy animals
so as to participate in zero-grazing dairy as a full time employment with sufficient income generated
on a regular basis. Men should be encouraged to incorporate their spouses on empowerment
matters e.g. registration at the cooperatives, allow them to make decisions, etc. There should be
efforts to strengthen small business organizations that are farmer (women) owned and managed,
facilitate and coordinate investments in livestock and dairy sectors and there should be concerted
efforts towards value addition in dairy production.
Full Text [9]
Academic Year: 2012/2013
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Challenges Facing Women in The Zero - Grazing Livestock Production System In Ken
Published on Institute of Anthropology, Gender & African Studies (http://africanstudies.uonbi.ac.ke)
Project Year: 2013
Project Status: completed
Source URL: http://african-studies.uonbi.ac.ke/node/1509
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