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Gender Norms, Technology Access, and Women Farmers’ Vulnerability to Climate Change in Sub-Saharan Africa

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Agriculture and Ecosystem Resilience in Sub Saharan Africa

Part of the book series: Climate Change Management ((CCM))

Abstract

The challenges of climate change are defined by biophysical unpredictability and the sociocultural context in which communities adjust to these challenges. Gender norms to which women and men generally conform influence women smallholder farmers’ vulnerability to climate change. Understanding the social context within which an intervention is introduced can therefore greatly influence its transformative capacity. This review addresses the evidence on the influence of gender norms on climate-smart agricultural systems in sub-Saharan Africa through the dual lenses of equitable system productivity and women’s empowerment. It makes a case for inclusive strategies to enhance equitable access to improved seed and other technologies as an adaptation option. We conclude that challenging gender norms around seed systems and extension services in SSA will increase our chance of success in mitigating climate disasters.

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Acknowledgment

The authors acknowledge the contribution of Dr. Carol Colfer (Cornell University) and Dr. Peace Musiimenta (Makerere University) for their input into the chapter as internal reviewers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda

    M. N. Mangheni & B. Boonabaana

  2. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    H. A. Tufan

  3. ICRISAT, Bamako, Mali

    L. Nkengla

  4. Bioversity International, Cotonou, Benin

    B. O. Aman

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  1. M. N. Mangheni
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  2. H. A. Tufan
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  3. L. Nkengla
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  4. B. O. Aman
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  5. B. Boonabaana
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, Geo-Informatics, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda

    Yazidhi Bamutaze

  2. Department of Agricultural Production, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda

    Samuel Kyamanywa

  3. Department of Environmental Science, Soil Science Building, Norwegian University of Life Science, Ås, Norway

    Bal Ram Singh

  4. Department of Agricultural Production, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda

    Gorettie Nabanoga

  5. The Ohio State University , Columbus, OH, USA

    Rattan Lal

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Mangheni, M.N., Tufan, H.A., Nkengla, L., Aman, B.O., Boonabaana, B. (2019). Gender Norms, Technology Access, and Women Farmers’ Vulnerability to Climate Change in Sub-Saharan Africa. In: Bamutaze, Y., Kyamanywa, S., Singh, B., Nabanoga, G., Lal, R. (eds) Agriculture and Ecosystem Resilience in Sub Saharan Africa. Climate Change Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12974-3_32

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