DAD-IS, the Domestic Animal Diversity Information System maintained at the FAO, documents 89 breeds of one-humped camels and 14 breeds of Bactrian camels. Of the dromedary breeds, 47 are at home in Africa, 14 in Asia, and 23 in the Middle East. Only 2 breeds are classified as transboundary. Nine of the Bactrian breeds are in Asia, 3 in Europe, and 2 are transboundary (DAD_IS, 2022).

The Indian forest management system introduced during colonial times has led to the progressive loss of the grazing rights of the country’s pastoralists, culminating in the abolishment of grazing fees and replacement with grazing fines in 2004. This scenario has had a negative knock-on effect on the conservation of many of the livestock breeds that pastoralists have developed in adaptation to local environments and that are the basis of the country’s food security. This paper illustrates the dilemma with the example of the Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS) in Rajasthan that represents the traditional monsoon grazing area for local camel, sheep and goat pastoralists. Raika herders have engaged in a long-standing but losing legal battle with the state for their continued seasonal access to this area. This situation contributes to the rapid decline of the camel which is an iconic part of Rajasthan’s desert identity, a major attraction for tourists and was declared state animal in 2014. The aims of the forest department to conserve wild animals and those of pastoralists and camel conservationists could easily be integrated into a more equitable governance system as is endorsed by Aichi Target 11 of the CBD Strategic Plan 2011–2020. However, deeply engrained concepts about nature being separate from (agri-)culture, as well as unequal power structures, stand in the way.

As camel production systems gain importance under climate change and dryland transformation, integrating gender equity into their development becomes both a justice imperative and a strategic necessity. Framed through the lens of a just transition, this article examines women's multidimensional contributions across camel-based livelihoods, dairy value chains, by-product industries, tourism and activities, and scientific research. Drawing on peer-reviewed and grey literature from diverse regions, the analysis highlights how gendered divisions of labor shape differentiated access to resources, decision-making power, and economic returns within pastoral and semi-commercial systems. Women play central roles in daily husbandry, milk production, processing, and marketing, often sustaining household nutrition and income while operating within constrained structural environments. Through women-led collective organizations, grassroots entrepreneurship, and enterprise leadership, they increasingly connect pastoral production to urban markets and global value chains. Their contributions extend beyond dairy into wool, leather, meat processing, ethical production initiatives, and eco-responsible enterprises that preserve cultural heritage while fostering innovation. In tourism, trekking, and training, women are gaining visibility in emerging service-oriented segments of the sector, though participation does not consistently translate into structural power. Women researchers have also advanced camel science in areas including milk quality, human health, reproduction, genetics, welfare, and biodiversity conservation, linking scientific innovation with community resilience and sustainable production. However, persistent barriers—limited access to land, capital, credit, institutional representation, and research leadership—constrain transformative empowerment outcomes. Collectively, the evidence positions women as central actors in advancing climate-adaptive, low-carbon, and socially inclusive camel economies. Yet empowerment remains conditional where high labor participation is not matched by control over assets and governance. Strengthening women's visibility, decision-making authority, and resource access is therefore critical to realizing a genuinely just transition in camel systems, aligning environmental sustainability, economic opportunity, and gender equity in dryland development.