Climate-Adapted Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index (Clima-Weai) : a Ugandan Case Study

Given its intrinsic link to natural resources, climate is an essential determinant of agricultural productivity. An existing measure called the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) contributes to advance in the measurement of women’s agency and productive opportunities in this economic sector. This paper adjusts this index to account for climate change vulnerability and proposes the development of the Climate-Adapted Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (clima-WEAI) by reviewing studies from the literature to identify indicators that could show gendered climate change vulnerability. The study shows proof of concept by using the initial data from the survey in Uganda. The results of the clima-WEAI confirm that women’s and men’s empowerment are affected by climate variability, crop diversification and livelihood strategies. A comparison between the results of the original WEAI and clima-WEAI reveals that women empowerment decreased by almost nine per cent when the climate domain was considered. The results of this study provide relevant information for setting priorities for action and formulating policy to address the specific needs of women in this economic sector, leading to further development of gender-responsive multidimensional metrics while accounting for climate change interrelations