A Brief Dialogue on the Gender Dimension in Pastoralist Development

Approximately 30 of the ECHO Symposium attendees participated in this dialogue. First, we established some basic definitions, and noted that poverty and political marginalization has affected men and women differently. While all pastoralists suffer discrimination, loss of land, degraded natural resources and insecurity, women experience additional disadvantages within their homes and communities, such as domestic violence, a longer work day with unimproved technology, and little direct say in community decisions. We examined the symptoms while noting the benefits when such disadvantages are addressed. We then discussed the root causes of gender disadvantage, and gave examples of best practices for addressing them. Last, we identified some steps for the future for ending gender discrimination, so that men and women could work as partners to develop their own communities.