Climate Change and Gendered Vulnerabilities: Women Adaptation Pathways in Laikipia North’s Semi-arid Pastoral Systems

Climate change continues to exacerbate existing social and economic inequalities, with women in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) experiencing disproportionately severe impacts. This study examines the gendered socioeconomic impacts of climate change on women’s livelihoods and documents women’s adaptation experiences in Mukogodo East Ward, Laikipia North Sub-County, Kenya. Grounded in Feminist Political Ecology, the study employs a mixed-methods design combining household surveys (n = 60), focus group discussions, semi-structured interviews, and key informant interviews. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis. Results reveal that climate change has had profound direct and indirect effects on women’s livelihoods, including reduced rainfall (90%), prolonged droughts (86.7%), food insecurity (85%), water scarcity (83%), and livestock losses (75%). Indirect impacts manifest through constrained access to land, education, and decision-making spaces, reinforcing women’s vulnerability. Despite these challenges, women demonstrate considerable adaptive capacity through the mobilisation of traditional ecological knowledge, livelihood diversification, collective savings schemes, seasonal mobility, and engagement in sustainable environmental practices such as soil conservation, water harvesting, and tree planting. The findings underscore women’s central yet under-recognised role in sustaining household and community resilience under climate stress. The study concludes that climate adaptation policies and interventions in pastoral ASAL contexts must move beyond technocratic approaches to explicitly recognise, support, and institutionalise women’s knowledge systems and adaptive strategies. Gender-responsive climate action is essential not only for social equity but also for enhancing the effectiveness and sustainability of local adaptation efforts.