Women and pastoral livelihoods: Innovating for a sustainable future

Millions of pastoralists in drylands depend on livestock for their survival. Yet conflict, climate change, and poor access to animal health services (AHS) threaten their way of life. Women play a crucial but often overlooked role in livestock management, facing barriers in time, mobility, and decision-making.  

In this webinar, on Thursday, May 15 from 12.30pm-2pm BST / 2.30pm-4pm EAT, SPARC will join partners Mercy Corps Uganda, MarketShare Associates (MSA), and Livestock Data for Decisions (LD4D) to present insights from field research on: 

• How behavioural and gender norms impact AHS access in Ethiopia and Kenya 

• Gender-inclusive AHS in Karamoja, Uganda: key learnings on designing more inclusive interventions. 

We will highlight scalable, gender-inclusive solutions that can enhance resilience, improve livelihoods, and ensure sustainable livestock systems. Join us to discuss policies and innovations that empower women and drive prosperity in pastoralist communities. 

At the event, we will draw on key pieces of evidence, including our policy briefs on:

•  'Behavioural and norms-responsive animal health systems for pastoralists in Ethiopia and Kenya'

• 'The use of gender transformative approaches (GTAs) in pastoralist societies: What we know about what works and recommendations for a way forward'.

Our panel will include:  

• Dr Elizabeth Daley, SPARC Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) Advisor, Cowater International - Webinar - Moderator 

•  Julie Koehler - Head of Gender (Data in Livestock Development), SEBI-Livestock - Speaker 

•  Noura Kamel - Director of Research and Impact, MarketShare Associates (MSA) - Speaker  

• Dr Maureen Kamusiime, Climate, Livestock and Agriculture Senior Advisor, Mercy Corps Uganda - Speaker 

Sign up here: