Empirical evidence shows that increasing women’s control over land, physical assets, and financial assets serves to raise agricultural productivity, improve child health and nutrition, and increase expenditures on education, as women are more likely than men to spend income on food, healthcare and the education of their children.
The high upfront cost of solar products is a major barrier to the widespread adoption of decentralized clean energy solutions in the developing world. Microfinance loans typically are not available for assets of this kind because of their high servicing costs. As a result manufacturers strip functionality and durability from their products to bring down the upfront price resulting in low-quality units with low light output and no phone charging.
This discussion paper seeks to explore alternative investment options with the aim of enhancing resilience in the Horn of Africa. Climate change, conflict, drought and increasing populations are leading many to pessimistic conclusions regarding the future viability of pastoral farming, arguing that these livelihoods should be sedentarised and diversified. Simultaneously, others argue for their wholesale protection.
