Building gender into livestock breeding in low-and middleincome countries Authors

Alessandra Galiè^1*Julie M.K. Ojango¹Cathy Rozel Farnworth²Humphrey Jumba^1*Lara Roeven²Karen Marshall¹

• ¹International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
• ²Gender Scholar, Pandia Consulting, Muenster, Germany

Livestock breeding programs are important in low and middle-income countries due to the large number of livestock systems that would benefit from improved genetics. Local gender norms and dynamics shape livestock management in households and communities. They influence the ways in which women and men provide inputs, such as labour, finance, time and knowledge into their livestock systems. They shape their specific needs, preferences, and the distribution of benefits derived from improved genetics. Breeding strategies need to consider such gender dynamics to effectively contribute to various livestock systems and ensure their benefits are equitably shared within households and communities. However, the scoping review and key informant interviews conducted for this paper reveal a sparse body of knowledge on genderresponsive livestock breeding. The purpose of this article is to develop a framework that can inform gender-responsive livestock breeding programs and in so doing, to develop a comprehensive knowledge base. The framework builds on the key steps of a breeding program:(i) targeting, (ii) operationalization of the genetic improvement strategy, (iii) marketing and dissemination of genetic material, and (iv) ensuring equitable benefits from improved genetics.Under each step, key gender questions are set out to help breeders and gender scientists think through and assemble the gendered information they need. These questions are of two types: gender-accommodative (to respond to gendered needs and priorities while reflecting existing gender norms and dynamics), and gender-transformative (to respond to gendered needs and priorities while allowing women to work towards their aspirations in livestock systems by challenging discriminating gender norms). The primary target readership are livestock breeders and social researchers working in low and middle-income countries to improve livelihoods through livestock where there is a focus on genetic improvement.