Date/Time
Date(s) - 22/01/2016
15:30 - 16:30
Location
ICCCAD Head Office
Categories
We will be kicking off our seminar series this year with a presentation from Amy Macmahon titled ‘Adaptation, Environmental Change and Gender Relations in Bagerhat: A Sociological Study’.
About the seminar
Climate change is expected to have a range of adverse effects on communities in vulnerable areas, with particular effects on women. Gendered roles, relations and expectations meant that women’s work, and their health is at greater risk of the impacts of climate change, as well as broader environmental changes. Adaptation initiatives as such, need to address women’s marginalisation, as a key factor of vulnerbality. Focusing on four villages in Bagerhat (in Rampal, Fakirhat and Chitolmari), I have carried out a qualitative, sociological study, looking at key policies, the impacts of environmental change, adaptation initiatives taking place, and the role of women in these initiatives. While adaptation initiatives are involving women a gender-sensitive way, the small-scale nature of many of these initiatives means that transformative change is limited. Challenges and barriers also exist in terms of local level knowledge, governance, access to markets and information.
About the speaker
Amy MacMahon is a PhD candidate from the University of Queensland. Her research focuses on climate change, gender and development. Amy has a background in sociology, research, communications and policy. She has conducted research on renewable energy, urban agriculture and women’s empowerment, both in Australia and Bangladesh.
