A Story of Change in Ward 17 Tombo

The Situation

The patriarchy in Insiza district had long restricted the official ownership of livestock to men. The men denied their spouses individual and separate stock cards, claiming that multiple stock cards in one household would mean there are different families. The ownership of livestock between married couples is the greatest cause of contestations as husbands often sell the jointly owned cattle without consulting their spouses. This is a threat to women’s economic wellbeing leaving them scrambling for their own assets when faced with adverse issues such as separation, divorce and death of the male spouse (inheritance issues). This brought about the need for separate stock cards

Our Intervention

The Response

The advocacy team members from Tombo village B in Ward 17 thus decided to advocate to their spouses on the need for them to legally own livestock that is registered in their own names in stock cards and also be owners of the brand of their cattle. After consultations with their intimate partners on asset ownership, their spouses agreed to their terms on condition that women would purchase the cattle at their own expense.

The Results

The 6 Advocacy action team members decided to start an Isal group to fund their livestock purchases. They each contributed 20 usd and setup mobile kitchens for artisan miners in the neighboring mines. They began on the 30th of April 2021 and by the end of June they had made a profit of 500usd. In early July they purchased 2 calves for 2 of their members and these are now registered in the 2 member’s names. They have also acquired stock cards and branded the calves in their own brands. Bambanani, the Isal group will continue until each one of its members is in possession of at least 2 cattle registered in their names.