Children’s work in the livestock sector: Herding and beyond

TABLE 2 (cont’d) Principal findings on children’s work in the livestock sector
Gender
differences
in
children’s
work in the
livestock
sector
Handling large animals is the domain of men in most societies, and children’s tasks in livestock handling
often follow these gender lines (Bradley, 1993, in De Lange, 2009).
In many countries both boys and girls are involved in herding activities. In the majority of countries
reviewed in this study, a higher percentage of working boys herd than do working girls. However, the
percentage of working girls involved in herding activities is not insignificant.
Boys and girls are both involved in general livestock care (e.g. cleaning and combing animals, collecting
fodder and water). Girls in the livestock sector are often more involved in general livestock care than in
herding.
While boys are more likely to be involved in farming activities (next to livestock activities), girls tend to be
more involved in household work.
Children are also engaged in dairy activities, including milk collection, processing and marketing.
Due to patterns of migration in which fathers migrate and boys make up for the foregone farm labour, girls´
work activities may include making up the foregone loss of work activities formerly carried out by sons/
boys, e.g. herding.
© WFP / Philip McKinney
Boy with goats in Myanmar
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