Climate Change and Gender Roles: Women’s Active Role in Adaptation

Jun 12, 2024 | Sarah B. Barnes
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“The success or failure of any adaptation strategy or action highly depends on the understanding of the capacities of a community or an individual to adapt to climate-associated risks,” write the authors of a recent systematic review of literature, Gender and Adaptive Capacity in Climate Change Scholarship of Developing Countries.

This 2023 review explores 59 articles published between 2010 and 2020 (primarily in African and Asian nations) to highlight how women’s agency and skills need to be prioritized in any adaptation strategy—especially given the gendered effects of climate change. It focuses on women’s vulnerability to climate change impacts, particularly regarding lack of access to information, resources, and capital; gender inequalities related to decision-making, power, asset holding, and violence; and ongoing responsibilities for everyday activities, including household work, farming, family caregiving and health, and food security.