IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i14p8797-d865666.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Youth, Gender and Climate Resilience: Voices of Adolescent and Young Women in Southern Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Thomas Tanner

    (Centre for Development and Environment Policy, SOAS University of London, London WC1H 0XG, UK)

  • Lucy Mazingi

    (Independent Researcher, Harare, Zimbabwe)

  • Darlington Farai Muyambwa

    (Independent Researcher, Lusaka, Zambia)

Abstract

In contrast to the dominant ‘vulnerability narrative’ applied to studies of gender, age, and other intersectional characteristics in determining differentiated impacts of climate change, there is growing attention to the agency and voices of young people in the context of their development futures in a changing climate. This paper draws on Feminist Participatory Action Research undertaken by adolescent girls in Zambia and Zimbabwe. Centred on access to education, the findings prompt a reframing of youth agency and empowerment beyond instrumental concerns to integrate intrinsic factors that include self-fulfilment, recognition from others, status, and self-resilience. The research demonstrates how young people’s enquiry can help to surface the underlying structures of inequality shaping both their gendered experience of climate change and the response options available. Tackling structural issues may be beyond the conventional scope of climate change projects and policy, but gender and youth concerns require more than incremental changes. Rather, harnessing opportunities from low-carbon and climate-resilient futures requires understanding and tackling structural drivers of gender inequality that influence development opportunities for young people.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas Tanner & Lucy Mazingi & Darlington Farai Muyambwa, 2022. "Youth, Gender and Climate Resilience: Voices of Adolescent and Young Women in Southern Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-19, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:14:p:8797-:d:865666
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/14/8797/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/14/8797/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stephen Woroniecki, 2019. "Enabling Environments? Examining Social Co-Benefits of Ecosystem-Based Adaptation to Climate Change in Sri Lanka," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-20, February.
    2. Thomas Tanner & Frances Seballos, 2012. "Action Research with Children: Lessons from Tackling Disasters and Climate Change," IDS Bulletin, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 43(3), pages 59-70, May.
    3. Ardyn Nordstrom & Christopher Cotton, 2020. "Impact of a Severe Drought on Education: More Schooling but Less Learning," Working Paper 1430, Economics Department, Queen's University.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Muok, Benard Oula & Mosberg, Marianne & Eriksen, Siri Ellen Hallstrøm & Ong'ech, Dennis Onyango, 2021. "The politics of forest governance in a changing climate: Political reforms, conflict and socio-environmental changes in Laikipia, Kenya," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    2. Robin Benabid Jegaden & Jade Lemoine, 2021. "Chocs de revenu et éducation des enfants en présence d'imperfections du marché du crédit et de l'assurance : Mécanismes décisionnels en Ethiopie," Working Papers hal-03527638, HAL.
    3. Valencia Torres, Angélica & Tiwari, Chetan & Atkinson, Samuel F., 2021. "Progress in ecosystem services research: A guide for scholars and practitioners," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    4. Ardyn Nordstrom, 2021. "Can Interventions Targeting Community Attitudes Improve Education for Marginalized Students? Evidence from a Mixed-Methods Experimental Design in Zimbabwe," Working Paper 1472, Economics Department, Queen's University.
    5. Rahman, Syed Mahbubur & Mori, Akihisa, 2020. "Dissemination and perception of adaptation co-benefits: Insights from the coastal area of Bangladesh," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 20(C).
    6. Vargas Falla, Ana Maria & Brink, Ebba & Boyd, Emily, 2024. "Quiet resistance speaks: A global literature review of the politics of popular resistance to climate adaptation interventions," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    7. N. Claire Napawan & Sheryl-Ann Simpson & Brett Snyder, 2017. "Engaging Youth in Climate Resilience Planning with Social Media: Lessons from #OurChangingClimate," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 2(4), pages 51-63.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:14:p:8797-:d:865666. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.