FARMER-HERDER CONFLICTS AND VULNERABILITIES OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN TARABA STATES, 2015-2023
Azimbe, Kazaye Usman
Volume 14 Issue 1
Abstract
This study examined farmer–herder conflicts and the vulnerabilities of women and children in Taraba State, Nigeria, between 2015 and 2023. The persistent clashes between farmers and pastoral herders have become a major security and humanitarian concern in the region, leading to displacement, loss of livelihoods, food insecurity, and heightened exposure of women and children to violence, exploitation, and psychosocial trauma. The study was anchored on the Eco-Violence Theory, which explains how environmental scarcity, population pressure, and unequal resource access interact with violence and human insecurity, particularly in fragile rural settings. The study adopted a qualitative and descriptive research approach, relying on secondary data from government reports, academic publications, and humanitarian organization records. It analyzed the patterns, causes, and consequences of farmer–herder conflicts and how these conflicts exacerbate vulnerabilities among women and children in affected communities across Taraba State. The Eco-Violence Theory provided a framework for understanding how environmental degradation, competition over land and water resources, and climate variability intensify violent interactions and displacement. Findings revealed that women and children are disproportionately affected by farmer–herder conflicts through loss of shelter, disruption of education, increased poverty, sexual and gender-based violence, and limited access to healthcare and basic needs. The study further showed that environmental stressors such as desertification and shrinking grazing lands significantly contribute to conflict escalation. These conditions reinforce cycles of violence and vulnerability, consistent with the assumptions of Eco-Violence Theory. The study concluded that farmer–herder conflicts in Taraba State are not only security issues but also environmental and socio-economic problems that deepen human vulnerability, especially among women and children. It recommends strengthened conflict resolution mechanisms, sustainable land-use policies, climate adaptation strategies, and enhanced protection frameworks for vulnerable populations to reduce the humanitarian impacts of these conflicts in the state. Keywords: Conflict, children, Farmer, Herder, Vulnerabilities, Women
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