Women’s agency in environmental interventions: Navigating “resilient livelihoods” in Kenya

In this article, we extend the critical research on gender mainstreaming in environmental interventions by focusing on women’s agency and rationales in such projects, and how this connects to “resilient livelihoods”. We approach “resilient livelihoods” as a contested space in which different actors have different perceptions and aims, and therefore different priorities in their pursuit of resilience. We further argue that the perceptions and motivations behind women’s agency in environmental interventions go beyond immediate aims of addressing environmental risks such as climate change and resource scarcity, to also include efforts to secure greater room for manoeuvre in households and beyond, and we show how they may sometimes succeed in this endeavour. Specifically, we analyse how women use a “resilient livelihoods” project in Kenya as a platform for i) leveraging their preferred livelihood strategies, and ii) altering gender relations more broadly. In so doing, they draw on their own agency to move beyond the conventional “gender inclusive” activities and narratives of the project. We find that women’s ability to pursue their livelihood priorities and challenge gender norms in the project constitutes a potential force for positive change, despite persistent constraints. The article thereby highlights the importance of understanding women’s’ wider agency and perceptions of “resilient livelihoods” when analysing gender dynamics in environmental projects.