Women are rarely viewed as active participants in warfare and are, instead, most often viewed either as the passive prizes of manly warriors or as "natural peacemakers." This study examines cattle raiding among Samburu herders in northern Kenya in order to understand how and why women shape collective violence. Like many African herding societies, Samburu young men have long engaged in cattle raiding and warfare, and these activities remain central to the formation of masculine identity. However, even though men are the direct participants in raiding, women and girls exert significant indirect influence on raiding patterns as a means to pursue their material and social interests. The project design includes a team of a female and male anthropologist who will work with members of their own gender in collecting an array of qualitative data that will be analyzed to determine the influence of women on raiding, and the relation of any such influence to sexuality and gender relations. The project will address this process both as a longstanding phenomenon, and as one influenced by contemporary transformations, particularly the recent proliferation of military style small arms in northern Kenya. In doing so, the project will aim to enhance more generalizable theoretical understandings of how gender interactions influence collective violence. The broader impact of these findings should have importance in understanding other forms of collective violence, such as gang violence, paramilitaries, vigilantes, etc. The study will provide insights into changing patterns of violence in Africa and elsewhere, specifically in regard to the impact of the global proliferation of military style small arms. A micro-sociological understanding of women's role in conflict, including in obtaining weaponry, should provide insights to policy makers concerned with the impact of the global spread of military style fire arms.
