Presented by Anna Sikira at the Livestock and Fish Gender Working Group Workshop and Planning Meeting, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 14-18 October 2013

1. Mapping of gender roles and decision
making in milk value chains in Tanzania
Dr. Anna Sikira
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Morogoro, Tanzania
Livestock and Fish Gender Working Group
Workshop and Planning Meeting
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 14-18 October 2013

2. Presentation outline
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Definition of key word
Background information
Methodology
Results
Conclusion

3. Definition of gender roles
• Sex roles-are universal (unchanging) characters of men
and women based on their biological capabilities
• Two main sex roles for women are child bearing and
breast feeding under natural condition
• Men’s sex role are fertilization
• Gender roles-evolved thru social, cultural, economic and
political process: different activities that men and
women play in the society
• Gender roles can be played by both men and women

4. Introduction
•The contribution of livestock sector to the Tanzanian
GDP can never be over emphasized
• The livestock sector contributed 5.9% to the total
GDP in 2006 & provide food to people
•It acts as a source of income for the livestock keepers
•The sector contributes to sustainable agriculture
through provision of manure and draft power

5. Introduction cont’
• Despite the importance, yet the contribution of this
sector to the GDP is still low compared to crop pdn
• subsistence production is a predominant
phenomenon affecting this sector.
• Similarly, commercial (Smallholder) dairy
production has a number of constraints including:
– Selling of products directly and in small quantities by
individual smallholder producers
• Creating diseconomies of scale.

6. Introduction cont’
• Unequal division of responsibilities and income
from livestock btn men and women
• A project known as “adapting dairy market hubs for
pro-poor smallholder value chains in Tanzania” was
formulated to ensure inclusive growth and reduced
poverty and vulnerability among dairy actors

7. More milkIT project in Tanzania
• ILRI in collaboration with Sokoine University of
Agriculture (SUA) are implementing this project.
• Year one of the project was the inception research
that was to inform the remaining four-years of the
project period
• Among other components, defining roles of actors
to enhance hub formation was done

8. Objective of the study
• Specifically the study assessed the current status of
the Tanzanian dairy sector
• Identified appropriate entry points and partners for
promoting a more pro-poor development
orientation
• Despite that dairy cattle are considered men’s
property; women have various responsibilities in
the nodes of the chain

9. Gender roles in milk value chain
• The assumption is that as women are involved in
daily management of cattle, the benefit will also
trickle down to the family income (Lavan et al,
2009).
• Gender roles are cultural based, they vary from one
place to another KIT et al., (2012) cited in Jeckonia
et al., (2013)

10. Theoretical framework of the paper
• It is based on the gender role conflict theory on
psychological state of an individual
• Whereby socialized gender roles have negative
consequences on the person (ONeil, 1997; Burke,
2000)
• The gender role conflict occurs due to the existence
of inflexible and unjust gender roles that result into
restriction, devaluation or violation of others or self
(ONeil, 1981) cited in Burke (2000).

11. Theoretical framework cont’
• Gender role conflicts entail cognitive, emotional,
unconscious, or behavioral problems caused by
socialized gender roles learned in an unjust
patriarchal society.
• Such conflicts occur when there is unequal
distribution of income accrued from shared activity

12. The paper answers the following
questions
• Are women and men have equal roles in dairy value
chain?
• Are gender roles distribution has an impact on
income distribution and thus affecting livelihood
improvement among actors?
• Are unequal gender roles distribution has an impact
on proper functioning of the dairy hub?

13. Methodology
• The study was conducted in Morogoro and Tanga
regions
• Two districts of Morogoro region were Kilosa and
Mvomero while in Tanga region the districts were
Handeni and Lushoto, representing Rural-to Rural
and Rural- Urban Market orientation.
• The selection of these areas emanated from the
scoping study

14. Study design
• A cross sectional research design was adopted in
which data were collected at a single time by the
PRA team
• Two villages from each district were randomly
selected.

15. Study population
• The study population included the Livestock
keepers engaged in extensive and intensive systems
• Farmers in Kilosa, Mvomero and Handeni
represented the extensive with significant semiintensive
• Lushoto farmers represented Livestock keepers
involved in Extensive/Sedentary with significant
semi-intensive & intensive (improved)

16. Sample size
• All systems were therefore represented by at least 2
villages (3 groups of extensive/agro pastoral zebu
farmers; 3x8=24x2=48
• Three groups of extensive/sedentary zebu farmers
8x3x3= 72
• Two groups of semi intensive and intensive
improved breed farmers) 8x3x2= 48
• Total focus group participants were 168

17. Random selection of farmers
• To ensure gender balance, the 1st hh picked was
asked to send a man to the meeting
• the 2nd hh a woman, the 3rd hh a man etc.
• Random replacement was done where, for
example, a female representative had other
responsibility and vice versa.

18. Key informants selection
• Key inputs suppliers were identified using
information from the previous day from FGDs and
from local opinion leaders
• These include: Input suppliers, Vendors and Traders
were individually interviewed

19. Data analysis
•Data analysis and processing was done qualitatively
whereby content analysis was used to process data
from focus group discussion, key informants, and
from secondary information sources.
•Using proportional pilling approach, quantification of
data was done.

20. Results &Discussion
Roles of women in the extensive system
• Milking is done by women to a large herd of cows
• Separate milk for sale and for home consumption
• Isolating calves from the main herd before taking
them to the grazing area
• Prepare food for the one taking cattle to the grazing
area

21. Roles of women in the extensive cont’
• Take care of the calves i.e feeding and ensuring that
they get water for drinking
• In some villages women move around selling milk to
the non-Maasai communities
• Receive animals from the grazing area and prepare for
milking
• Collecting special firewood used for preservation and
adding aroma to the milk- traditionally known as
msisiro

22. Roles of women in the extensive system
• In case of loss of an animal, the women will be
punished and ordered to pay.
• During transhumance, some of the gender roles
change:
• Milking is done by men instead women, however,
others move with their wives

23. Role of men in the extensive system
• Work as guards/watchmen in the night especially in
the wet period
• Cross checking of animals from field
• Treating sick animals before taking cattle to the field
• Graze animals near home compound before taking
them to the grazing area

24. Role of men in the extensive system cont’
Other activities done in the dry season:
• Repairing of cattle shed when need arises
• Surveying areas with better pasture before moving
animals in the dry season
• Overseer of all activities related to livestock

25. Number of hours used by men and
women
• Women spend 6:30-7:00 and 11:30 in the wet and
dry seasons respectively
• Men spend 4 hours in the dry season while 5-6hours
are spent during wet season

26. Wome’s roles in the semi-intensive system
In the dry season
• Fetching water for animals in areas such as
Kwang’wenda
• Milking of animals
• Taking milk to the market
• Fetching grasses for animal

27. Roles of women in the wet season
• Activities are similar except that in wet season
grasses are just near the home compound
• Grazing of animals specifically for Kwampunda
village
• It should be noted that both men and women do all
activities related to livestock

28. Decision making in extensive system
• Decisions are mainly done by men because they
control household income
• Men also are more exposed to latest information
related to availability of inputs like drugs than
women
• Decisions are jointly done for the married couples,
while widow and single mothers make own
decisions in intensive system

29. Conclusion
• Majority of women in extensive system participate
in the production node than in other nodes of the
milk value chain
• Most of gender roles are performed by women in
extensive system than in intensive system and earn
little inline with Gender role conflict theory
• All important decisions are made by men and
control of income from sale of live animals is done
by men.

30. Conclusion cont’
• Income & Decisions related to milk and milk
products are made by women.
• however it was apparent in the group that with
commercialization of milk sales men get integrated
in the decision as more money is earned.

31. Conclusion cont’
• Traditionally milk sale is purely a women’s role and
they could use sales for buying cattle or shoat,
which belongs to women, but men will still have
control of all the cattle or sheep & goat (shoats) in
the household.
• In the intensive and semi-intensive system, gender
roles are shared between men and women (Kabuku,
Manyinga, Kwang’wenda and Kwampunda villages).

32. Recommendations
• For a proper functioning of the milk hub,
participation of actors should be equal
• Women should participate in all nodes of the milk
value chain
• The project should address the unequal division of
labour thru capacity building and lobbying by
traditional leaders