Gender Analysis of Smallholder Farmers’ Adaptive Capacity to Drought in Semi-arid Kenya

The article presents the results on gendered analysis of adaptive capacity to drought by smallholder agricultural households in Makueni county of Semi-arid Eastern Kenya. In spite of the county being semi-arid and over-reliant on rain-fed agriculture livelihoods are more sensitive and hence more vulnerable to recurrent droughts. Drought conditions potentially affect men and women differently and gender dynamics have the potential to influence how people respond or adapt to the risk. The aim of this study was therefore to compare the factors that influence capacity to adapt to drought between men and women. The study involved interviews with 420 rural households that were stratified into either male-headed or female-headed and Focused Discussion Groups. Results of the study showed that women-headed households were less equipped to adapt to drought compared to men-headed households, a situation that made them more vulnerable to droughts. Women’s capacity was limited by low levels of education; low incomes; insufficient weather and early warning information; limited ownership of resources; limited access to financial services; and triple role burden in households. Policy and practice implication of this study is the need for innovative and more strategic approaches of integrating gender in management of resources that are necessary for adaptation. We also recommend for more gender-sensitive approaches of disseminating climate information, early warnings and adaptation advisories.