WOMEN AND THE WEATHER A MINI-REVIEW: GENDERED DIMENSIONS OF CLIMATE ADAPTATION IN RURAL GEOGRAPHIES

Background: Rural communities are disproportionately affected by climate change, with women often facing increased vulnerabilities due to socio-cultural, economic, and institutional barriers. Women's livelihoods, which often depend on natural resources such as farming, water collection, and firewood gathering, are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of droughts, floods, and other climate change-related events. Objectives: This paper explores the gender-specific aspects of climate adaptation in rural settings. This review study highlights the intersection of gender, the gendered impacts of climate change, highlighting how women in rural areas face disproportionate vulnerabilities due to their reliance on natural resources, limited access to decision-making, and socioeconomic constraints. Materials and Methods: Comprehensive literature searches were conducted using databases such as Google Scholar, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), Web of Science, ProQuest Social Sciences Databases, Public Affairs Information Services (PAIS), and PubMed to identify pertinent articles published between 2010 and 2024. The studies range from 2010 to 2024 were taken for this review. Results: There have unexplored areas related with rural women and climate conditions. As women play a crucial role as active agents of climate resilience through traditional knowledge, food security management, and community leadership. Women are vital to household and agricultural adaptation, their efforts are frequently impeded by limited land rights, restricted mobility, and unequal labor responsibilities. Conclusion: This study advocates for the implementation of gender-responsive climate policies, and the enhancement of women's leadership in climate governance. By emphasizing gender in climate resilience frameworks, this research contributes to more inclusive and effective adaptation strategies for rural communities facing increasing climate risks.