Gender Mainstreaming in Drought Management Systems for Agro-Pastoral Communities in Kenya’s ASAL Regions
IUCN Commission for Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP) Natural Resource Governance Framework (NRGF) Working Group
Download
Drought is one of the most destructive climate-related disasters in Kenya's Arid and Semi Arid Lands (ASALs). In September 2021, the President of Kenya declared the ongoing 2020- 2023 prolonged drought a national disaster following three consecutive below-average rainy seasons in the country (ACAPS.org, 2022). While the biophysical impacts of drought are well-studied, the gender and social dimensions of these disasters remain underexplored (Huho and Asokan, 2024). Consequently, the effects of drought continue to worsen gender inequalities, making women and young girls particularly vulnerable. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Gender Caucus, which aims to address gender issues related to land, land degradation, and desertification, met during COP16 (2024) to highlight women's unique and valuable contributions to drought relief, land restoration, and sustainable land and food systems management. With the increasing frequency of drought worldwide, the Gender Caucus continued to stress the importance of ensuring that drought preparedness, responsiveness, and policies are gender-responsive. As such, this policy paper addresses the gaps within Kenya’s National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) and suggests improvements for gender mainstreaming in drought management. It is based on research carried out in 2023 and 2024 with fieldwork in Ngari Village, Samburu West Sub-County, during January and February 2024. It is informed by the IUCN CEESP Natural Resource Governance Framework (the NRGF), a rights-based values framework to guide decision-making and actions for good governance of natural resources.