INVESTIGATING THE DOUBLE INJUSTICE OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND GENDER INEQUALITY

This study chose adaptation to changing climate as a societal response of Kamphande, Kasankha and M’bwana, T/A Namkumba in Mangochi district in investigating and explaining the injustices of climate change and gender inequality. Adaptation to climate change requires equal participation, equal access to resources such as land and credit, therefore, it can be easily used to detect the causative agent (gender inequality) to reduced responses to climate change. Gender inequalities define the access of economic activities in these villages and these are the major emitters of GHGs. This therefore means that, in these villages, women are not involved in emissions of greenhouse gases or disruption of climate but when the impacts of climate change come women suffers a lot than those who caused it. Because of poor access to resources, poverty is increasing at an alarming rate to more women, and this increases their vulnerability to climate change, this is what is being called double injustice of climate change and gender inequality. This study was conducted based on its significance that it will help the climate practitioners and policy makers to make policies that are firm at abolishing practices that perpetuate gender inequality. It was also done by looking at its ability to help our societies to understand that, the main aim of ending gender inequality in issues to do with climate change it’s not solely on support for women, it is rather a matter of creating balance in a society such that everyone is able to adapt to the impacts of climate change. The research used qualitative data that was collected through interviews and answering of questionnaires. Its analysis was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Excel. The researcher found out that, really there are practices that accelerates gender inequality in these villages and the developed gender inequalities compromise adaptation to climate change and finally, empowerment, education and increasing women power of decision making and participation can help women also to adapt to climate change. The researcher would want to recommend that further researches are need no the topic with full and good time and resource allocation, and that timing should also be considered when conducting further researches as this was done at a time when people were very occupied with farm activities.