Uncovering the Intersections of Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality in Climate Adaptive Capacities in Climate Hotspots for Women in Zambia

Kihoro, E., Lecoutere, E. and Mishra, A. 2024. Uncovering the Intersections of Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equality in Climate Adaptive Capacities in Climate Hotspots for Women in Zambia. Journal of Asian and African Studies.

Climate change risks exacerbating gender inequalities in agrifood systems; hence, the importance of understanding how women’s empowerment and gender equality of climate adaptive capacities relate. Using primary gender-disaggregated intrahousehold data collected in climate hotspots in Zambia, this study shows a positive relationship between women’s empowerment in the household and intrahousehold gender equality in access, knowledge and adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices. Showing that different dimensions of women’s empowerment – gender norms, access to resources and group membership – relate differently with gender-equal adaptive capacities, the study emphasizes the importance of a contextual analysis, unpacking the prevailing key constraints to gender equality, and the need for simultaneous investments in women’s empowerment and gender-equitable access to climate information services and climate-adaptive practices.