Exploring women's empowerment and adaptive capacity in Chepang communities of Chitwan, Nepal

Abstract

Women in poorer countries are disproportionately impacted by climate change due to existing gender inequality. Empowering women is critical for building adaptive capacity to climate change and improving the resilience of families and communities. However, insufficient studies exist on the link between women, climate change, and their adaptability, leading to policies that overlook the significance of empowering women. This study examines the link between women's empowerment and adaptive capacity to climate change in a Chepang community in Nepal. Surveys of 190 households in the Chitwan district were conducted, measuring women's empowerment across six attributes and adaptive capacity across five attributes. Statistical analyses including PCA and FAMD were used to create indices for these factors. The study used OLS regression to assess the effect of women's empowerment on adaptive capacity. Results show that women's empowerment significantly impacts household adaptive capacity. This highlights the need for prioritizing women's empowerment, to enhance climate resilience in vulnerable communities. The findings have implications for policymakers and practitioners, advocating for gender-inclusive strategies to bolster community-level climate resilience.