Gendered differentials in climate change adaptation amongst the Shona ethnic group in Marondera Rural District, Zimbabwe: A social inclusions lens.

Abstract

Background: Various studies on climate change treat men and women as unitary categories with contrasting needs. There is a dearth of studies which use a social inclusions lens to understand the impacts of climate change on gender. Other social markers that give an in-depth insight of the social differences within and between genders to the impacts of climate change are consequently ignored. Methods: Utilizing a mixed methods approach, this study aimed to explore and investigate the gendered crops grown as a climate adaptation strategy to respond to perennial droughts, increased temperatures and unreliable rainfall patterns amongst the Shona in Marondera rural district. Results: The findings indicated that social differences between gender lines like age, household types, income, education and employment status amongst other social variables produce differentiated vulnerabilities and potential opportunities towards climate adaptation. Conclusions: The main position advanced in this article is that treating gender as the primary cause of vulnerability produces a narrow analysis making other social markers (age, types of households, income and ethnicity) analytically invisible. This paper recommends a holistic and comprehensive analysis to inform climate change programming and policy frameworks. This would in turn address and improve climate adaptation strategies within and between genders which are often obscured to address the needs of all vulnerable members of a given economy.

Women’s Vulnerability to Climate Change: Gender-skewed Implications on Agro-based Livelihoods in Rural Zvishavane, Zimbabwe

“…In these situational contexts, men and women assume different productive, reproductive and community roles. In Zimbabwe, men's roles include heading households, exercising authority and the ultimate decision power (Garutsa, Mubaya, & Zhou, 2018). Women, in addition to the reproductive role of childbearing, are still relegated to the role of producing food for their families (Dodo, 2013).…”

“…This is in addition to the common roles of collecting water and firewood (Mudombi & Muchie, 2013). These roles and responsibilities for the women are influenced by the type of household headship-that is, either de facto or de jure household headship (Garutsa et al, 2018). De jure female-headed households have legal and customary heads, such as widows and unmarried, separated or divorced women, while de facto female-headed households have either a self-reported female head whose husband is present or, more typically, a self-reported male head who is absent for most of the time (Quisumbing, Haddad, & Pena, 2001).…”

“…Differences in resource levels, social-cultural norms and male and female roles imply different management pathways for male-headed households and female-headed households. In Zimbabwe, it is a woman's responsibility to grow home-consumed crops because of the prescribed role of feeding the family, while men grow cash crops because of the prescribed role of producing cash income (Garutsa et al, 2018). In a study conducted in the southern parts of Zimbabwe, Mukoni (2015) noted that women used water more than men for their practical gender needs, such as cooking, washing and bathing the children.…”

Navigating Complexities Towards Sustainable Food Crops Production: Local Practices For Climate Change Adaptation In Rural Ghana

“…). Studies suggest that intercropping serves as the main indigenous adaptation strategy for food crops productions (Garutsa et al 2018). In Mutoko (Zimbabwe), farmers substituted maize cultivation with millet and sorghum, which increased their farm yield, and reduce their level of vulnerability to climate change .…”

Barriers to Effective Climate Change Management in Zimbabwe’s Rural Communities

“…To add on, in Mutoko rural district, Mugambiwa (2018) avers that women face cultural restrictions on mobility when climate change induced risks strike because culture require them to be confined to their homes and look after the family. Furthermore, in Marondera district, Garutsa et al (2018) established that there are pervasive stereotypes embedded against women where their contributions even on cropping systems and livestock rearing are considered invaluable.…”