The negative impact of disasters induced by climate change, if not proactively managed, could erode gains attained in the fight for gender equality in Botswana. This could lead to disempowerment, increased levels of poverty, and weakened resilience to climatological and related disasters. Empirical research on the impact of climatological disasters has centered primarily on livelihoods (agriculture and environment). However, limited research has been undertaken on the built environment. This article attempts to address the knowledge gap by exploring the resilience of women in the built environment, or more specifically, by examining rural Batswana women's resilience factors in the built environment and how these (houses/huts) could be further enhanced to withstand the impact of climatological hazards. It followed a qualitative research design and used a capability and gender analysis lens. The key findings indicate that women cannot afford to construct disaster-resilient residential structures due to existing power imbalances perpetuated by patriarchy. Women as caretakers of their families stay at home and are usually the last to evacuate or leave their places of residence when disasters eventuate. As a result, women were found to have higher levels of poverty, could not afford durable building material, had inadequate technical skills, and were generally climate illiterate. Consequently, the structures they construct are weak, less durable, and a potential risk to them and their families. Despite these challenges, women show signs of resilience rather than victimhood.
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