Decision-making capacity to address climate-induced food insecurity within women-led groups in Southern Mali

Abstract

The following study examines climate change in Mali, and its impacts on food security. This will be explored through the experiences of women, using feminist political ecology as an analytical framework. This research builds upon previous work that explores the intra-gender power imbalances that exacerbate the impacts of climate change within agrarian households. We find that polygynous households are sites of power differences, which perpetuates food insecurity. Within households, women are often excluded from decision-making processes that help mitigate climate-stressed food production. Beyond households, options to collaborate and seek support do exist, and are successful when women are granted agency to determine how resources are used. However, these strategies are available to a minority of individuals, and access is often limited to elder women. That said, despite the potential of women-led groups within and outside of households, such groups are subject to unequal distribution of power. As a result, women-led networks are not yet able to thoroughly address climate-sensitive agricultural challenges and continue to marginalize young women.