Abstract

This paper focuses on assessing the status of pastoral women’s access to and control over livelihood assets in Fafan zone of Somali region, Ethiopia. In this study, the emphasis was given to the study populations’ level of access to and control over livelihood assets, factors affecting pastoral women’s asset ownership and the effects of pastoral women’s access to and control over livelihood assets. The study has employed a convergent parallel research design. Survey questionnaires, in-depth interview and focus group discussion (FGD) guides were used as instruments of data collection. The research revealed that the pastoral women have limited access to and control over productive assets such as land, big livestock-camel, cattle, sheep and goat. The pastoral women’s access to socio-economic infrastructures and services such as schools, health care services, extension services, microfinance services and communication technologies is also very limited. However, the research has also revealed that many pastoral women were actively engaged in livelihood diversification in response to the livelihood vulnerability in the area. The changing trends in access to market and commercialization of livestock and livestock products in the study areas have improved socio-economic status of many women. Even though majority of the pastoral women have poor access to and control over livelihood assets, few women who have been actively engaged in livelihood diversification and markets of livestock and livestock products have experienced significant improvement in  socio-economic wellbeing and decision making ability..

Key words: Pastoral women, livelihood assets, access and control over assets, Somali region