Feminist Political Ecology and the Gendered Impacts of Climate Change

Abstract

Climate change is not only an environmental crisis but also a crisis of inequality and power. Its impacts are felt unevenly, especially by women in the Global South, due to existing social, political, cultural and economic structures. This paper applies Feminist Political Ecology (FPE) to explore how gendered power relations shape women’s experiences of climate change and how gender‑transformative governance can create unbiased responses. Drawing on a qualitative review of international climate policies, feminist scholarship, and case studies from Nepal, India, West Africa, and Brazil, the study examines frameworks such as the Belem Gender Action Plan and the DAWN network’s approach to ecological and economic justice. Findings show that climate change intensifies women’s unpaid care work, agricultural responsibilities, and resource insecurity, while limiting access to land, credit, technology, and decision‑making. Male out‑migration has further feminized agriculture, expanding women’s roles without granting them rights or recognition. At the same time, women lead agroecological and food sovereignty movements, contributing vital ecological knowledge and strengthening community resilience. Yet, current climate policies often emphasize participation without addressing deeper structural inequalities rooted in patriarchal, capitalist, and colonial systems. To address this gap, the paper proposes a Transformative Ecological Justice framework built on recognition of women’s knowledge and care work, redistribution of resources and opportunities, and meaningful representation in governance. It argues that climate resilience and gender justice are inseparable, and recommends intersectional, rights‑based, and women‑led approaches to climate policy, particularly in contexts like Nepal where climate change, migration, and gender inequality intersect.