Gender and climate change adaptation: A case of Ethiopian farmers

Abstract

The adverse impacts of climate change, in many cases, aggravate existing gender inequalities and hinder developing countries from achieving the targets set by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is, therefore, crucial to understand whether there exists a gender gap in climate change adaptation and investigate the factors explaining the gap to reduce the vulnerability of the farming households to surging climatic risks. Using data from 2279 farm households in Ethiopia and applying a multivariate probit model and exogenous switching treatment effect regression method, this study examines the existing gender gap in climate change adaptations among farmers in Ethiopia and factors contributing to this relationship. The results show a significant gender gap in climate change adaptation in farming households due to the differences in both observable and unobservable characteristics of male‐ and female‐headed households. It indicates that reducing the gap can enhance climate change adaptation by female‐headed households by almost 19%. Women's workload in household chores significantly reduces their likelihood to adopt climate change adaptation measures. Therefore, unless policies proposed target institutional factors, including social and cultural barriers, traditional gender norms and division of labor, and other intrinsic behavioral issues, addressing only observed characteristics may not fully address the gender gap. To bring about transformational changes in the existing gender norms and social attitudes, long‐term gender‐informed policies are essential, along with short‐term projects, to address the gender gap in climate change adaptation through the provision of equitable opportunities for all.

Determinants of climate information service access and use among smallholder farmers in Bereh woreda, Ethiopia

“…Furthermore, households with female heads bear the burden of both agricultural and domestic duties, thereby affecting the probability of their accessing and using CIS. This result agrees with the findings of Aryal et al (2022), who reported that women's workload in domestic tasks greatly affects their likelihood of using climate‐change adaptation measures. Furthermore, Zeray and Demie (2015) reported that male‐headed households are more likely to use climate adaptation techniques, raising the question of whether climate adaptation strategies are gender specific and can be interpreted as an indicator that climate adaptation strategies may be more labor intensive and access to information.…”

Assessment of the Vulnerability of Households Led by Men and Women to the Impacts of Climate-Related Natural Disasters in the Coastal Areas of Myanmar and Vietnam

“…However, in both countries, there is a need to consider possible ways for farm households to escape the debt trap and extend loan repayments with lower interest rates. This is similar to the finding of Aryal et al [18]: Women farmers are more vulnerable to climate risks due to their subsistence-based livelihoods and access to credit. Therefore, the livelihood component indexing scores suggest the need for access to credit, the creation of non-farm and off-farm employment opportunities, and livelihood activities in Myanmar and Vietnam.…”

“…Climate change impacts male and female farmers differently, depending on their social, economic, and cultural contexts, and it is important to identify and address the differential vulnerabilities of men and women farmers [18,19,25,26]. Aryal et al [16] find that even when exposed to the same climate risks, households in Bangladesh's coastal region face different levels of livelihood impact depending on whether they are led by men or women; these disparate livelihood impacts are largely explained by differences in access to assets and the availability of adaptation options.…”

“…Better access to market information can be ensured by enhanced social capital and information-sharing platforms [10,43]. For instance, women with less access to resources, such as information, credit, and market services, are less likely to adopt climate change adaptation strategies, increasing vulnerability to climate risks [17,18]. Therefore, the scores for this component highlight the need for more concerted action and emergency COVID-19 responses from public and private organisations to meet the needs of vulnerable farm households in the coastal areas of Myanmar and Vietnam.…”

“…In many regions, women play an important role in food production, processing, and marketing, and their vulnerability has consequences for agricultural productivity and food security. Understanding the gendered differences in the impacts of climate change is therefore crucial for developing effective and gender-sensitive adaptation strategies that address the specific needs and challenges of women farmers [16][17][18]. Women constitute the majority of the world's poor and rely on natural resources that are most vulnerable to climate change [19].…”