Lead researcher: Dr Sukanya Purkayastha
Partner: Sukanya Purkayastha
Duration: December 2023 – July 2024
Countries: Kenya, Ethiopia
Conflict affects the lives of pastoralist communities in the borderlands of northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia in multiple ways. Many conflicts in the region relate to competition for natural resources such as water and grazing land, in a fragile region severely affected by climate change issues including soil erosion and desertification. This study investigates pastoralist women’s meaningful participation in formal and informal mechanisms to reduce, prevent, and resolve conflict in the borderlands. It also offers insights on the impact of conflict on women and girls directly, as victims of violence, and indirectly, as family members of combatants. This will help further knowledge about relationships between resource competition, climate change, and the causes of violence.
The research will utilise a participatory methodology, actively engaging women throughout the investigative process. To ensure inclusivity and cultural sensitivity, particularly with regard to the practices of pastoralist women in Kenya, the project will incorporate an art-based participatory method: informal music sessions. These sessions will provide a space for embodied, creative, and communal expression related to conflict and peacebuilding. This approach aims to facilitate expression in ways that words alone may not fully capture, especially given the sensitive and emotional nature of the study. The research will primarily employ community mapping, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups, some of which will integrate these music sessions.
This project is one of several focused on women and girls in cross-border conflict contexts. The main output will be a research manuscript for submission for publication in a peer-reviewed journal or as an XCEPT research report.
For more information regarding this research, contact [email protected]