Masculine authority and climate adaptation in pastoralist Kenya

This article examines how climate-induced livelihood transitions are reshaping masculine identities and power relations within pastoralist communities in Kajiado County, Kenya. While gender and climate adaptation research has predominantly foregrounded women's vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities, the shifting roles and identities of men as providers, leaders, and institutional actors remain underexplored. Based on empirical data from three ecologically diverse locations and the application of the theories of political ecology and hegemonic masculinity, the study shows that the loss of livestock, exclusion from adaptation programmes, and the rise of new forms of legitimacy based on relational agency and institutional recognition undermine traditional male authority. However, men are re-evaluating their male roles through salaried employment, agriculture, and business, even if these transitions are uneven and subject to unequal access to education, capital, and social networks. The findings challenge static and monolithic representations of masculinity and show that climate change is a powerful arena for reorienting and challenging power. This research offers significant insights into the gendered resilience of pastoralist socio-ecological systems, which advances our understanding of the connection between ecological stress and institutional change. Accordingly, climate adaptation interventions in pastoralist contexts should address shifting masculinities by ensuring resource equity, recognising diverse male roles, and involving both men and women in planning.