Empowering Women Livestock farmers through technology
Gender gaps in men and women’s access to resources, inputs and services mean their work in agricultural value chains falls far short of their potential in terms of scale, productivity, and output, causing huge costs to their households. We sit down with Dr Tom Osebe, GALVmed’s Senior Manager for Commercial Development in Africa to discuss how digital tools can empower women livestock farmers and enable them to be active decision makers in the management of livestock production in their homes and communities.
What are some of the challenges facing women when it comes to adopting new technology in animal health?
Typically in Africa, the animals kept in the household are owned by the husband or significant male, leaving women and their children responsible for offering husbandry services. Adopting technology here suggests exercising management decisions which in many cases does not rest with them. There is also an aspect of penetration of internet services and cost where it is available. Where women don’t handle the income, financing this may be a limiting factor.
What can be done to empower more women to adopt technology in the animal health sector?
Advocacy and education can play a huge role to influence management mandates on the farm to be progressively delegated from men to women. Educating women in farm management practices and entrepreneurship could contribute to more women having a strong influence in growing their mandate in livestock production in their homes. There is also need to institute women friendly financial solutions that are relevant for livestock production to grow their investment capacity.
In your opinion, what would be the results of more women adopting technology in the sector?
Women tend to juggle many balls in the home beyond livestock keeping. They have to ensure meals are made, water fetched, tend to the children, visit the market and so on. Technology would be a big help in allowing them to stay on top the livestock production aspects when away from home or while undertaking other tasks. Adopting technology will also allow them to manage the farm remotely when they are not able to, due to situations like childbearing or illness. And finally, technology will make work efficient and effective which will directly lead to an increase in productivity of the livestock impacting the wider wellbeing of the family.
What are some of the market technologies GALVmed is working on that might benefit women livestock keepers and how?
GALVmed and some of our partners are working on a number of technologies that will add value to the livestock heath sector. One of them is the Telehealth platform which allows for livestock keepers including women to source for animal health service providers, enjoy remote care of their animals, maintain medical records among other features. On this, we are working with our partner VetNOW – a Digital Health Technology Company focused on driving the global transformation of veterinary healthcare – in consortium with The National Animal Disease Information Service (NADIS) and Africa veterinary technicians’ association (AVTA).
The other platform is the Market Intelligence Platform (MIP). GALVmed has partnered with AgNexus Africa -a Kenya based market research company- on a pilot basis, to develop an integrated MIP with current market size reports and market simulation components for Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania- which is envisaged to support animal health companies to increase their investment in Africa. The MIP is being implemented alongside the agrodealers digitization and professionalization initiative to automate the collection of retailer-based market data and offer training to agrodealer through bespoke International Finance Corporation agrodealer training material. Better managed agrodealer stores will ensure women access a diverse portfolio of high quality products, for use at the farm.
We are striving to be inclusive in these digital platforms so that women can also benefit.
Anything else you’d like to add?
In many cases, there is a good understanding of value in the household. If women are helped to thrive in their livestock keeping, it strongly contributes to empowering them in the home. They progressively will exercise management responsibilities which will contribute to growing the general welfare of the home and the community.
This blog has been written by Beatrice Ouma as part of the International Women’s Day 2025