Gender and socio-ecological resilience to climate change : a transformative approach in selected post-fast track resettlement farms in Zvimba East District, Mashonaland West Zimbabwe

Abstract

The study focused on how gender influences the socio-ecological resilience of women to climate change in selected Post-Fasttrack Resettlement Farms (PFTRFs) in Zvimba East District. The study analyses the level of women’s livelihoods’ socio-ecological resilience to climate change in PFTRFs and how these can be improved to be sustainable. The study was premised upon the key question ‘how socio-ecologically resilient are the women’s livelihoods in the wake of climate change? In building the case for this study the nature and trends of climate change in the area were established and how these impacted on women’s lives and their livelihoods. The women’s responses to climate change impacts and the level of socio-ecological resilience of the means adopted were also another driving force to carry out this study. In doing this the study employed the mixed methods methodology hinged on the use of the survey method (337 households), in-depth interviews (30), FGDs (3) and observations conducted across three farms which facilitated an analysis of how genders influence the socio-ecological resilience of women to climate change in PFTRFs. Adopting the gender and socio-ecological resilience framework, the study analyzed the level of socio-ecological resilience to climate change of the women in PFTRFs and the need for a transformative approach to adapting to climate change in these areas. The study revealed a socio-ecological resilience gap in women’s adaptation to climate change. Their practices were discovered to be highly maladaptive owing to the patriarchal nature of the institutions they must report to. Additionally, the study noted that socio-ecological resilience to climate change and gender aspects of communities have an inextricable and conflictual relationship which leads to faulty adaptations in Post-Fasttrack Resettlement Farms if not handled properly. In as much as climate change was perceived to be negatively affecting women in PFTRFs, in their response the impacts have pushed women to be innovative and diversify their livelihood options through the on-farm, non-farm, and off-farm mechanisms. Nevertheless, the responses of these women are not fully socio-ecological resilient to climate change as sustainability remains questionable, hence the need for the existing means to be developed and transformed into being socio-ecologically friendly was emphasized by the study. Based on this the study recommended that there is need for climate proofing of some of the means and ways adopted by women and funding some of these initiatives to be sustainable. Adding on to this training of women in socio-ecological resilience needs to be done as well as putting policies that help women farmer have access inputs and funding to cope with climate change.