Challenges Facing Female-Headed Households Due to Climate Change–Induced Droughts in Rural Zimbabwe: An Analysis Through a Feminist Political Ecology Approach

This study explores the drought-related challenges faced by female-headed households (FHHs) in rural Zimbabwe through the lens of Feminist Political Ecology (FPE). Using descriptive phenomenology and semi-structured interviews with 14 women, the study uncovers gendered land injustices, financial exclusion, labour burdens, social marginalisation and technological disempowerment. Findings reveal that structural inequalities, not just environmental stress, deepen FHH vulnerability. The study highlights the need for gender-responsive adaptation strategies that prioritise women’s agency, collective action and institutional inclusion. FPE provides a critical framework for rethinking resilience as a political and social process shaped by power and inequality.