Equality matters for climate change adaptation.
There is expected to be a 1 to 3 degree temperature rise by 2060 leading to times of  drought which will impact the people whose livelihood is dependent on agriculture.

The research project is based on a education technical adaptive assets focus. Especically upon gender dynamics with research into existing gender inequality.

The theory behind this research project is based upon Intersectionality Theory where gender roles are one aspect of intersectionality. Alongsdie this is the theory of Subjectivity in its role power and adaptation, especially in its roles in authority and knowledge.

So two questions that guide this research project are: How does gender subjectivity affects crop farmers? And what opportunities for negotiation exist?

These two questions where addressed through: interviews, walk and talk while being video recorded, and in focus groups.

The aim was to discover the perceived strengths of men and women powers as an education resource.

What was discovered was that men were perceived as hard laborers who were providers and this gave them authority to control the resources, and hence control of adaptation.

The cost to the men was that of exhaustion and injury. Men were perceived as physically strong and productive hence they worked large land sized areas. This enabled the men to have purchasing power. The senior responsible men, compared to the men who undertook risky living, were held to be powerful with a lot of influence.

Women were perceived as the polar opposite, even though women are 51% of farmers. Women farm small plots of land for their households giving them less purchasing power. Women were seen as dependent on men for labour.

The single woman and the widow were seen as especially helpless and as having less agency.
Perceived as lazy and uninterested in farming and so excluded from training.

Both men and women show adaptation. Women in being market women who sell in the markets for profit. This brings tension as these market women come to be regarded as powerful exploiters of the farmers. Further, this supplement of income enables the market women more control and to be economically independent.  These market women come to know the market and can predict the market as well as cutting out the middle trader.

The way forward is through emancipation of gender sterotypes to renegotiate power within gender roles undertaken through story education on climate change co-learning  workshops.  Along with visual drawing activity leading to insight through conversation on gender roles within the women and men activities in both farm labour and marketing of the produce.

There is of course the powerful community members who desire to shut down any future change hence the challenge is to keep open these potentials for change. 

More long-term renegotiation is required as little traction has so far been made.