It is not easy for us women: Gendered narratives around survival in rural ‘oil-scapes’ of the Niger Delta

Within the dynamics of everyday survival in oil-rich rural communities of the Niger Delta, the natural environment has become increasingly incapable of supporting livelihoods due to pervasive oil pollution. The paper argues that unpacking gendered narratives in economically constricting rural conditions is central to understanding women’s survival narratives in the rural oilscapes of the region. We draw attention to choices for women that oscillates between survival and concerns for environmental sustainability. Data was collected using quantitative and qualitative tools in two communities with history of pollution. We frame women’s experiences around everyday livelihood practicalities and the influences on coping choices to environmental scarcity induced by pervasive crude oil pollution. The analysis shows women frame their lived experiences around everyday survival being shaped significantly by the combination of environmental scarcity and prevailing power dynamics. Environmental scarcity induced by pervasive oil pollution and power dynamic around rural access combine to reshape socio-economic vulnerability by increasing exposure and sensitivity while undermining adaptive capacities. Exclusionary decision-making and limited opportunities are identified as exacerbating livelihood risks and undermining survival. The narratives show women resort relying on support networks, seeking unsustainable alternative livelihood options, giving impetus to economic contexts that prioritize survival over sustainable environmental concerns.