Women’s Leadership in Climate Change Adaptation: Harnessing Experience, Overcoming Vulnerability

Climate change presents a formidable challenge to human development, disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations, particularly women in rural areas. This study explores the pivotal role of women's leadership in climate change adaptation, focusing on Self-Help Groups (SHGs) as a platform for fostering leadership competencies. Drawing on quantitative analyses, including independent t-tests and multiple regression, the research highlights significant differences in adaptation strategies and leadership skills between women with and without leadership influence. Respondents with leadership roles scored significantly higher across ten leadership dimensions—such as decision-making, communication, and resource management—and adopted a broader range of climate adaptation strategies, including forest and watershed management, soil conservation, infrastructure adaptation, community engagement, and disaster preparedness. The regression analysis revealed that variables such as farming experience, landholding size, irrigated area, social participation, extension contacts, infrastructure access, and training significantly influenced leadership competency. SHG membership emerged as a critical factor in enhancing women’s adaptive capacity by providing access to resources, training, and collective learning opportunities. The findings demonstrate that leadership influence fosters proactive climate adaptation behaviors, enhancing resilience and reducing vulnerability. The study underscores the transformative potential of women's leadership in driving community engagement and implementing effective climate adaptation strategies. It highlights the structured support provided by SHGs as instrumental in cultivating leadership qualities and promoting widespread adoption of climate-resilient practices. By integrating leadership development with climate adaptation initiatives, communities can build robust frameworks to address environmental challenges. This research aligns with global studies emphasizing the importance of women’s leadership in fostering environmental resilience and offers actionable insights for policymakers to strengthen rural women’s roles as agents of change in climate adaptation efforts.