Women’s Empowerment at the Frontline of Adaptation: Emerging Issues, Adaptive Practices, and Priorities in Nepal

The findings of the study reveal that, across Nepal, there has been an increase in rural women’s workload rendering multiple effects on women’s health, income, safety, nutrition, violence against women and ultimately on women’s social, economic and political empowerment. Variability in water availability has negatively affected women’s livelihoods. The hardening of agricultural soils and the emergence of new pests and crop diseases, all widely observed, are increasing women’s workloads, forcing them to spend long hours tilling the land and weeding fields. The decrease in overall productivity with reduced diversity in crop and food intake has presented a unique challenge to women as ‘food managers’ of their households. Challenges to agro-based micro enterprises run by women’s collectives due to decline in agricultural production and decline in income from women-managed and controlled high-value crops (‘pewa’ crops) has affected women’s economic independence. Climate-induced changes in forests and biodiversity, including the emergence of invasive species, are leading to a loss of household income and livelihood options, especially for women and people from poor, indigenous, and marginalized communities, such as the Chepang and Dalits. The decrease in water availability as a result of climate change has increased the distance covered and time needed to collect water and worsened hygiene and sanitation for women. It has also led to greater humiliation and further exclusion of women from low and so-called ‘backward’ castes in accessing water facilities. Contestation over water for irrigation has marginalized women farmers.