The pastoral areas of eastern Africa are typically characterized today by "gloom and doom." Poverty is rampant and rangelands are often ecologically degraded. Residents can be at risk of famine and sporadic violence occurs. Within this framework we report on some success stories that focus on the achievements and vision of pastoral women. Women have typically been in the backseat of pastoral politics and development initiatives; they have often lacked the right to own or trade larger species of livestock (cattle or camels), have rarely been consulted when development projects are created, and are subjected to the daily toils of hauling water, collecting firewood, and managing households. Our story begins with the discovery of dynamic pastoral women's groups in remote northern Kenya who organized themselves, saved money, created innovative small-businesses, and eventually provided funding support for public
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.