Milking drylands: Somali women & pastoral markets

The Milking Drylands research initiative, funded by the European Union’s Marie Curie programme, addressed issues of food security, market integration, gender roles and governance in the Somali ecosystem. It explored dynamics of social change in order to deepen understanding of complex pastoral economics and point to options for appropriate interventions. As the doctoral dissertation “Milking dylands: gender networks, pastoral markets and food security in stateless Somalia” (2010, 230pp) by Michele Nori reveals, camel milk marketing is a fast-developing women’s enterprise in the Somali drylands, as women seek to ensure food security, generate income and create a buffer to be able to cope with critical situations. Socio-economic processes related to commoditisation of camel milk are investigated within a livelihood perspective in order to assess the relevance of existing local institutions on development of pastoral markets, with a special concern for issues of gender and governance.

More publications from this and related research can be found on the webpage of the Global Governance Programme of the European University Institute.

Posted on 24 November 2017 in Pastoralism & Marketing, Pastoralism, Gender & Youth