Drought and desertification threaten the livelihoods of more than 1 billion people in 110 countries, but men and women do not share the burden equally or in the same ways. As desertification takes hold in dryland areas, women’s already limited access to productive assets such as land, water and livestock decreases, further straining their ability to care for their families and manage natural resources. As soil fertility dwindles and crop and livestock productivity decline, men are forced to leave their communities in search of employment. Women are left to assume traditionally male responsibilities without the same access to community services, decision-making power and financial, technical and other resources. In fact, women living in drylands tend to rank among the poorest of the world’s poor people.
This publication is devoted to women pastoralists, their knowledge of and contributions to sustainable land management, and the coping mechanisms they have developed in their struggle to survive. It is a call to action to support them by increasing their access to productive assets and their participation in policy-making. These stories highlight the invaluable human resources that exist in dryland areas and the power they have to protect not only the environment but also the communities that depend on it for their survival.