Unpacking the invisible complex realities: intersections of gender and marital status in determining the intrinsic vulnerability of smallholder farmers to climate change in Northwestern Ethiopia

ABSTRACT

Studies in Ethiopia have shown how climate-induced impacts are experienced differently by male and female farmers, with women being generally more vulnerable. Yet, less is known about how vulnerability to climate-induced risks differs between men and women of different marital statuses Therefore, we applied an intersectionality framework to examine how the level of intrinsic vulnerability is mediated through gender and marital status. Categorical Principal Component Analysis (CAPCA) was used to construct a household heads’ intrinsic vulnerability index. Drawing on a systematic random sample of 1602 respondents and based on logistic regression analysis, the study shows that, while a man’s marital status is a less important factor in determining his level of vulnerability to climate change, it is a key factor in the case of women. Compared to other women, female divorcees and widows are highly likely to be vulnerable to climate change in northwestern parts of Ethiopia. Integrating information about marital relationships, especially the neglected widows and divorcees into the design of interventions may help to better target potential beneficiaries among smallholder farming communities. Our study makes a unique contribution to the intersectionality literature in understanding the diversified experiences of vulnerable rural communities which are susceptible to climate-induced shocks.

KEYWORDS:

• Intrinsic vulnerability
• intersectionality
• gender
• marital status
• Northwest Ethiopia

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the valorisation and travel grant of the Institute of Development Policy (IOB), University of Antwerp and the field data collection support of the VLIR-UOS South-Initiative Project 'Gender and Climate Change: Perception, Vulnerability, and agriculture-related adaptation preferences among male and female headed households in Northwest Ethiopia (GCC-PeVAAP)' being implemented at Gondar University (Ethiopia). We are also thankful to GCC-PeVAAP South Initiative project team members for their support during field data collection. All remaining errors are the sole responsibility of the authors.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 This study is part of a broader research project on gender and climate change funded by deleted for blind review and only uses specific sections of the survey and focus group discussions.

2 A more detailed discussion of the Intrinsic Vulnerability Index (IVI) construction and scoring can be found in deleted for blind review. IVI scores for all respondents are available as supplementary material.

3 Sensitivity is operationalised as “the degree to which a system or species is affected, either adversely or beneficially by climate variability or change” (IPCC, 2014 cited in Sharma & Ravindranath, 2019, p. 4).

4 Adaptive capacity is “the ability of systems […] to adjust to potential damage, to take advantage of opportunities, or to respond to consequences” (IPCC, 2014 cited in Sharma & Ravindranath, 2019, p. 4).

5 Galemota is a “traditional derogatory name given to widowed or divorced women who live alone in Amhara national regional state” (Jones et al., 2016, p. 12).

6 The Edir/Iddir is an indigenous financial and social institution or cultural cooperative in Ethiopia that offers mutual aid and financial assistance for those group members who need support (Aredo, 1993).

7 Ekub is a form of capital formation where community members gather and contribute a fixed amount of money to be paid weekly or monthly to a pool which is then rotated amongst the members until all get paid (Jembere, 2009).

8 Senbete is a religious and ceremonial occasion which is cooperatively formed by group of people and celebrated every Sunday to socialise (Rahmato et al., 1999).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the VLIR-UOS south initiative project GCC-PeVAAP (grant number ET2019SIN248A102) and a dissertation valorisation grant of the Institute of Development Policy, University of Antwerp.

Notes on contributors

Dereje Amene Yimam

Dereje Amene Yimam is Assistant professor of Environmental Management at the University of Gondar, department of Development and Environmental Management Studies. He has expertise in climate change (specifically on understanding prediction and global climate models, and the impact of climate change in shaping future economic wellbeing, and public health), rural livelihoods and gender. He is the south co-promotor and member of the Vlir-UOS project ‘VLIR-UOS South-Initiative Project “Gender and Climate Change: Perception, Vulnerability, and agriculture-related adaptation preferences among male and female headed households in Northwest Ethiopia (GCC-PeVAAP)”.

Nathalie Holvoet

Nathalie Holvoet is a full-time professor at the Institute of Development Policy, University of Antwerp. She has expertise in development monitoring and evaluation (methodological issues & policy, systematic issues) and gender & development. Recent research focuses on unconditional cash transfers, gender & climate change and community-based monitoring. She is the north promoter of the Vlir-UOS project ‘VLIR-UOS South-Initiative Project “Gender and Climate Change: Perception, Vulnerability, and agriculture-related adaptation preferences among male and female headed households in Northwest Ethiopia (GCC-PeVAAP)”.