Gender-responsive climate resilience through community-based adaptation: A policy-practice interface study in southern Bangladesh

Abstract

Climate change brings severe gendered impacts in southern Bangladesh. Evidence is available of high rates of female displacement, increases in gender based violence, climate driven child marriage, and disruptions of menstrual hygiene and water access. These conditions add to the vulnerability of coastal communities affected by salinity and recurring hazards. This study looks at the link between policy frameworks for national climate and disaster policies and community based adaptation practice, and in particular the disconnect between gender commitments in the policy framework and their implementation at the local level. The study outlines a governance pathway framework, which describes how policy commitments travel through stages of institutional translation and program implementation before influencing community outcomes. The research assesses governance mechanisms, institutional capacity and measurement limitations which limit verification of gender responsive resilience. Key limitations include lack of gender disaggregated indicators, weak financing mandates, little monitoring of e.g. gender based violence outcomes, and a lack of inclusion of adolescents and persons with disabilities. Findings show that policies such as BCCSAP, NAPA, ccGAP, NPDM, and BCCTF make reference to gender equality but have no mechanisms for enforcement, coordination arrangements, and gender responsive budgeting provisions. Institutional fragmentation as well as monitoring systems that focus on indicators of participation undermine a policy translation into operational programs. Community based adaptation initiatives document participation but few improve decision authority and access to services for women and marginalized groups. The recommendations of the study include gender outcome reporting, better representation of women in local governance structures, including gender risk mitigation in adaptation programs, and standardization of gender responsive resilience indicators to support equitable resilience outcomes in coastal saline belt.