Gender roles in livestock farming and their impact on children's health in pastoral communities

Children in pastoral communities play a significant role in herding livestock, placing them at a high risk of exposure to zoonotic pathogens such as the Rift Valley fever virus.

However, socioeconomic studies on knowledge, attitude and practices on Rift Valley fever often involve adults and community trainings that are usually implemented to bridge knowledge gaps seldom involve children.

Understanding how gender roles influence risk exposure is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies.

Thus, scientists from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the University of Nairobi carried out a cross-sectional qualitative study to investigate how gender roles influence the vulnerability of pastoralist boys and girls to Rift Valley fever in Isiolo County, Kenya.

Specifically, the study sought to examine how the livestock-related roles of boys and girls in the pastoralist communities increase their risk of Rift Valley fever, establish the knowledge that pastoralist boys and girls have about Rift Valley fever and assess how livestock roles affect the lives of boys and girls in the pastoral communities.

Data were collected from 12 sex-disaggregated focus group discussions of 106 discussants and 17 key informants, using vignettes and key informant guides.

Results

The team found that boys and girls had varying levels of knowledge about Rift Valley fever, with boys showing a deeper understanding of the disease, and both girls and boys engage in livestock roles that expose them to Rift Valley fever risk.

Additionally, pastoralism affects children’s access to education, health and leisure time and exposes them to food insecurity.

The researchers conclude that since both boys and girls in the study community face Rift Valley fever risk, there is a need for targeted interventions and strategies that move beyond a general approach to prevention of the disease within pastoralist communities.

This is vital, as exposure pathways and vulnerabilities may differ due to gendered roles and responsibilities.

Citation

Mutambo, I.N., Bett, B. and Bukachi, S.A. 2025. Effects of livestock related gender roles on pastoral children and their implication to RVF risk exposure. CABI One Health 4(1): 0019.

Photo: Cattle belonging to pastoralists in Isiolo County, Kenya (ILRI/Geoffrey Njenga)

Curated by Tezira Lore, Communication Officer, ILRI