Research and Discussion Papers

Listening to Women, Reclaiming Drylands for Livestock and Pastoralists

Language: EnglishPublished: October 2026 View PDF File Authors: Ghotge Nitya S Journal: Indian Journal of Gender Studies

Abstract

For over a century, drought-prone deserts and drylands with seasonal

grasses have been viewed as desolate, forsaken spaces waiting to be

developed into verdant, bountiful landscapes. Since the 1970s, the aim

has been to green the grasslands by introducing thorny exotic plants.

The focus was on drought relief through small or large irrigation projects

and canals that dissected the lands. Later, this evolved into watershed

programmes for soil and water conservation and a new concern with

livestock management, banning grazing by small ruminants and encour-

aging intensive livestock systems centred around large ruminants and

exotic cattle. Within these development perspectives, several unique

qualities of the drylands remained invisible, including the lives and liveli-

hoods of women farmers and pastoralists. Recently, new perspectives

on drylands have emerged, valuing these lands for what they are rather

than for what they are not. For centuries, drylands have nurtured and

sustained lives and livelihoods. This article offers a fresh perspective on

drylands, recognising their intrinsic value and the resilience of wom-

en’s livelihoods that revolve around livestock, ways of being and living

that have the potential for sustaining communities and landscapes in an

uncertain economic and climatic future.