Gender, culture and climate change in rural Namibia

Abstract

Gender-based vulnerabilities have taken dominance in climate change adaptation and disasters risk management studies. Climate change impacts affect women’s and men’s livelihoods and cultures, thereby intensifying already existing gender inequalities. This paper examines gender differentiated impacts and vulnerability to climate change in Namibia. The paper further highlights how culture influences gender inequalities and associated implications for climate change vulnerability among different ethnic communities of Namibia. The data synthesis for this paper applied the Gender Analysis Framework (GAF) and the Climate Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis Framework (CVCA) to map out issues that cause or intensify social vulnerability to climate change in Namibia. Opportunities exist for Namibian women to participate in decision-making, leadership and community-based adaptation programmes. However, there are still feelings of hopelessness among Namibian women in rural areas. This could be caused by cultural attitudes among Namibian societies stemming from long held beliefs that women are weak and should be looked after. Access to information and ownership of technical skills increase the capacity of men and women to balance the vulnerability to impacts of climate variability and change. This paper concludes that climate change impacts are not gender neutral, men and women vulnerability to climate change is not the same and their adaptive capacities are differentiated.