Climate resilience and resistance in Myanmar: transcripts from voiceless women

Abstract

ABSTRACT This research manifests the voices of women in Myanmar tackling climate hazards. Facing an unpredictable climatic future, the disadvantaged populations, such as women from the informal settlements, are considered to be exposed to higher risks, whereas their resilience-building efforts are usually overlooked in academia and policymaking. This work highlights the gendered climate resilience in Dala Township, a peri-urban community of Yangon, through participant observations and semi-structured interviews. This research reveals the gendered vulnerability, virtue, and everyday resistance towards resilience, emphasizing the local lens of affected disadvantaged women who are often not heard. Notably, it demonstrates alternative realities, knowledge-making, and practices of climate resilience, giving voices to the voiceless. Situated in Myanmar, findings call for a more gender-sensitive approach to build a just and resilient climatic future for all, with tremendous potential for broader application in the disadvantaged communities worldwide tackling intersectional injustice.