| dc.description.abstract | 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 well-educated
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. | en_US |
