Rainfall scarcity and its impacts on subsistence farming: the role of gender and religious rituals in adaptation to change

abstract

The study examined the impacts of rainfall scarcity on subsistence crop production. It describes the importance of religious rituals performed by women as adaptation measures to erratic rainfall patterns. This study is motivated by observations that unpredictable rainfall has diverse impacts on food security in rural communities that still depend on subsistence economies to supplement food sources. Focus group discussions with 50 women aged between 35 and 78 years revealed that the women draw on cultural knowledge as subsistence crop producers. They depend on rain-making, seed-dressing and crop maintenance rituals to adapt to rainfall scarcity hazards such as drought. These measures ensure food self-sufficiency in the face of climate change. The findings of this study could be used to improve the status of women by fostering their participation and use of their indigenous knowledge to increase food security in development programmes intended to end hunger and famine in the rural areas.

keywords:

• climate change
• rainfall scarcity
• women
• food security
• religious rituals

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sejabaledi Agnes Rankoana

SEJABALEDI AGNES RANKOANA is Associate Professor and Head of Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Limpopo, South Africa. She is a cultural anthropologist specialising in Medical Anthropology. Her Honours and PhD are in Medical Anthropology. She has published widely in the area of health and health care and supervised masters students on this subject as well as on climate change. Sejabaledi has developed interest in the health impacts of climate change and has conducted research projects in Limpopo province to explore the health impacts of climate change.