Gender, ethnicity and engagement: uptake strategies for smallholder cattle farming innovation in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

Smallholder cattle production is one of the most important enterprises for the majority of people in West Nusa Tenggara as a source of income. This paper reports on how gender played a role in innovation uptake in cattle farming across three ethnic groups (Sasaknese, Sumbawanese and Balinese) and recommendations for a communication strategy design that supports effective innovation uptake. The 2015 socio-cultural study applied a case study methodology involving 19 communities. The research found that gender roles in cattle farming varied across ethnic groups. While cattle farming was generally dominated by men, women's involvement was more significant for the Sasaknese and Balinese with more intensive cattle farming systems. Across all three ethnicities, women had a prominent role in decision making where financial matters and budget allocations were involved. Women's involvement in meetings was poor due to cultural barriers and improper timings. Given women are important to production decision making, their lack of involvement can impede innovation adoption. A framework is offered to integrate gender sensitivity into communication strategies to support innovation uptake for livestock research for development initiatives