Pastoral production in Mongolia from a gender perspective

The Policy Alternatives for Livestock Development (PALD) project was established to research and make policy recommendations on the liberalisation of the Mongolian pastoral economy and its impact within the household. The paper discusses the organisation of pastoral production at the household level from a gender perspective. The paper describes and explains the use of matrices and mobility mapping as participatory methods for gathering information on seasonal labour allocation, time use and mobility. It was found that a clear division of labour exists within the household, based on gender and age. Women are significantly involved in livestock care, but socially constructed ideas about men and women means that men are associated with overall reproduction of the herd and women with the production of goods.