*These five principles will ensure best results if applied jointly and in sequence. If not possible to apply all 5 principles, project teams are advised to use the World Bank Social Inclusion Assessment Tool (SiAT) to address social inclusion and gender equality issues
Analyze why and how they are excluded,
To design inclusive livestock operations, it is important to systematically assess what individuals (or groups) are excluded from and what causes this exclusion. Key areas of exclusion are access to markets and jobs, access to services and the ability to participate in decision-making processes and access public space. The project team should explore how exclusion plays out for marginalized groups, and how - in the specific project context - this might constrain their ability to benefit from project interventions.
Within livestock investments - as with other forms of agriculture-related livelihoods and value chains - marginalized groups often don't have equal access to markets and jobs.
For example, women’s mobility (ability to leave the house or travel away from home) is controlled by men (fathers, husbands, brothers) in many parts of the world. Location of markets in areas that require long travel may exclude female livestock owners from participating. They may end up selling their livestock at a smaller profit margin than male owners, and may have to rely on itinerant brokers/intermediaries.
Similarly, illiteracy is still higher among women in many countries, which means that they may not be able to access information (about markets, services and spaces) on a par with men. Access to mobile phones and other digital technology (and through these access to information) is also lower among women in some countries. This means that women will not be able informed about the current prices and may end up selling their livestock under market value.
Access to information is also crucial when it comes to accessing information on latest animal health information, and getting their livestock vaccinated in a timely manner, which may increase the risk of loss of investment in livestock.
Legislative and policy barriers may prevent women from owning land and getting loans for livestock investment.
Nomadic pastoralists have been historically marginalized in different parts of the world. There have been attempts by various governments to control their movement. Oftentimes, pastoralists rely on access to grazing land and watering holes through historic agreements, but lack formal deeds granting them access to the land and water resources. This makes them highly vulnerable to exclusion. Furthermore, due to their nomadic lifestyles, they are less likely to have had formal education (hence higher % of illiteracy) and are thus at risk of exclusion from accessing information which may only be available in written form.
Marginalized migrant workers employed in large scale livestock industrial complexes in in both global north and south countries (slaughterhouses, etc.) may face problems due to language barriers or a lack of legal documentation which prevent them from benefiting from livestock investment in an equal and meaningful manner.
Applying the step
Analysis of who gets excluded and why is the key approach to this step. There are several approaches to this.
There are several types of analysis that can be used to understand and map out types of exclusion and the roots of these harmful practices. Gender analysis, social analysis and political economy analysis are the three most well-known approaches to this. There is some crossover between the three. Here are brief descriptions including a link to more information on each of these approaches:
A political economy analysis (that includes a gender and inclusion lens) will help with understanding who benefits and who loses in the current setup. Such an analysis informs the project and can help develop interventions that do not exacerbate current inequalities.
Social (inclusion) analysis is a framework used to assess the degree to which various individuals or groups are integrated and able to participate fully in social, economic, and political life. It involves examining barriers to inclusion and identifying policies and practices that can promote equality and participation for all members of society
Gender analysis provides the necessary data and information to integrate a gender perspective into policies, programs and projects. As a starting point for gender mainstreaming, gender analysis identifies the differences between and among women and men in terms of their relative position in society and the distribution of resources, opportunities, constraints and power in a given context. In this way, conducting a gender analysis allows for the development of interventions that address gender inequalities and meet the different needs of women and men. There are several gender analysis frameworks practitioners can choose from.
Trade-offs
With any of the 5 five steps for promoting social inclusion in SIL, the main trade off is the resource cost of the activity. The resource cost includes allocation of qualified staff, time to carry out the exercises at the right moment in the project cycle, and material resources needed for completing the activities in each of the 5 steps.
While there may be a pushback about the cost of this work, it is important to remember that the cost of not doing this work - that is - the cost of inequality and social exclusion for broader society is much more substantial, encompassing economic, social, and psychological dimensions. Economically, it results in reduced workforce participation, lower tax revenues, and increased public expenditure on welfare and healthcare. Socially, it leads to higher crime rates, health inequities, and educational disparities, undermining social cohesion and trust. Psychologically, it exacerbates mental health issues and erodes social capital, perpetuating cycles of poverty and inequality across generations. Ultimately, this hampers societal stability, equity, and overall prosperity.
In particular, understanding the reasons why and how groups and individuals are excluded helps unpack the complexity of exclusion processes and in particular, who, currently, in the past, has benefited from this exclusion. Work on addressing issues of exclusion may challenge the current distribution of wealth (and power) and may as such be seen as a threat to privileges enjoyed by the powerful elites in society. Understanding the power dynamics and political economy of exclusion will help the team navigate the complexities and challenges in a diplomatic way.