Climate, Hunger and GBV in Chimanimani

Saved by Silence: Climate Change, Food Insecurity and Gender – Based Violence (GBV) in Chimanimani

Climate change has far-reaching impacts that intersect with gender and in particular incidences of gender-based violence (GBV). Although climate change impacts all genders and social groups, the impacts are often disproportionate with women and girls often bearing the brunt of climate change. Hence, different identities are compounded by climate change impacts and gender, especially GBV and this necessitates an intersectional focus on vulnerable groups. 

Understanding women’s hesitance to report GBV in Chimanimani

The United Nations has noted that the risk of violence is likely to increase as climate shocks become more frequent and severe. Climate change stressors can exacerbate gender-based violence (GBV) by heightening vulnerabilities among already marginalized groups. Women and girls bear the brunt of the negative impacts of climate change. Cultural expectations often place women in subordinate roles, dictating that they cannot speak up against men, be it husbands, fathers, or brothers and must be directed by them. Noncompliance with these cultural norms may result in social sanctions, reinforcing a culture of silence. As a result, women often remain silent to maintain peace and preserve their marriages.

A climate-security study in Chimanimani analyzed households through focus group discussions with women displaced by Cyclone Idai and those from the local host community. This study revealed that GBV is rife, particularly during times of heightened food insecurity as a consequence of drought and other climate change related impacts. However, the disturbing finding that emerged during our discussions was that women experienced GBV especially from their spouses. The reasons varied from household street due to lack of food, fights over limited household resources e.g. food, money and decision making regarding food during times of crisis. Men often became physically violence and verbally abusive towards women. 

Despite clearly defined reporting mechanisms which started from traditional leadership stage i.e. through the headman, women often shyed away from following this channel and instead chose to remain silent and endure GBV from their husbands in silence. During the FGD, women rationalized their  silence as a way of preserving their marriages. Instead of reporting GBV incidents through the traditional leadership channel led by the headman, they opted to hide this abuse and cover up for their husbands. Sentiments such as the following were given as justifications: 

The sentiments expressed above highlight women’s complicity in GBV within their households and communities as cultural norms grant men authority to terminate marriages if they feel their wives have overstepped or challenged their authority. This dynamic renders GBV reporting mechanisms, whether traditional or formal nearly ineffective as women often avoid seeking protection to prevent losing their marriages or relationships. Consequently, women suffered in silence and non-reporting of GBV in the home is a form of preservation of marital relations. This can be understood within the broader framework of patriarchy which hinders efforts to achieve genuine gender equity. It was observed that there are points of tension (contestations) that then emerge between cultural gender norms and humanitarian interventions that often conflict with cultural understandings of gender roles. Gender based programming has been done and continues to be done in Chimanimani but it is perceived as external Western-based impositions that is not in sync with the gender-prescribed roles and expectations. Humanitarian -based gender rights are perceived as through a cultural lens in Chimanimani, hence the culture of silence and impunity when it comes to GBV and limited use of reporting mechanisms. The gendered roles illustrated below explain why women remain subordinate and relatively powerless against their male counterparts 

Patriarchy, Gender Roles, and Expectations in Chimanimani 

What triggers GBV during times of heightened food insecurity?  

Based on the gender assigned roles and expectations illustrated above, it should be noted that there is a significant increase in GBV during times of crises i.e. climate change impacts such as droughts, times of high food insecurity in Chimanimani. In unpacking this association, the study established several reasons why there is heightened GBV during crisis.  

• This is attributable to resource scarcity as food insecurity exarcebates competition for limited resources i.e. food in households and communities.
• Male gender-assigned roles normally assign men and boys to the productive sphere where they are expected to be breadwinners and family providers. However, during times of food insecurity we found that men’s failure to fulfill the provider role leads to frustration and anger which manifests in GBV towards women in their households.
• Furthermore, it was established that food scarcity leads to anger and frustrations in households which then manifests as domestic violence against vulnerable members of the household as men vent their frustrations.
• Both men and women experience economic disempowerment due to the impacts of climate change resulting in economically stressed households. In our study, we found economic stress to be a tipping point leading to GBV in households.
• When men feel disempowered or emasculated, they tend to assert their dominance and authority through GBV even though this in itself is a misguided avenue to maintain dominance during times of crises and distress. In trying to maintain their culturally- assigned male gender roles, men may reinforce these norms through domestic violence.  

Hence, it can be concluded that climate induced stress breaks down social cohesion and community support structures  

Conclusion and Recommendations  

The Chimanimani study established that there is a string association between climate change, food insecurity, and gender-based violence. In addressing this nexus, humanitarian interventions must consider gender equity programming that is aligned to the social and cultural norms of impacted communities. To build climate resilience and promote food security, interventions should not only look at this from a climate action perspective but also integrate culturally sensitive peace-building approaches that promote peace and mitigate household and community conflicts. Some key recommendations are outlined as follows:  

• Humanitarian organizations need to align with community voices and cultural gender norms by engaging with local traditional leadership.
• Crucially, engaging with men and boys through robust- targeted capacity building programmes to train men on GBV and influence change of harmful practices is a key step towards address silence by women when it comes to GBV.
• GBV is two -way. It would be remiss to assume that women only experience it. Whilst it is disproportionately experiences by women and grs more than men and boys, this not discussion the reality that some men also experience GBV especially when food insecurity is high in households and communities. Men must also be engaged and encouraged to report / seek help when they experience GBV.
• Community engagement through education and training. Gender equality programmes should be co-developed and co-designed with cultural sensitivity to gender norms and practices in mind to create culturally acceptable approaches to gender equality.
• Given the connection between climate change, food insecurity, and GBV, it is crucial to mainstream gender relations into climate action and interventions to ensure that climate change interventions prioritise gender equity.  

Climate change, while not a direct cause of gender-based violence (GBV), acts as a threat multiplier that intensifies pre-existing inequalities. Therefore, climate change coincides with entrenched inequalities, reinforcing patriarchal norms and values. These inequalities, stemming from cultural values, position women hierarchically beneath men, further heightening their vulnerability to GBV. While these norms are anchored in dominant culture, they will require community engagement that promote a shift towards gender equity. In this case, equity means women and girls can safely seek help without fear of losing their marriages when they experience domestic violence in their households. Similarly, a shift is needed to create an environment where men can freely engage with GBV reporting mechanisms  without facing judgement or stigma because of their masculinity. Just as women and girls should not endure domestic violence, so too should men suffer in silence for the sake of upholding the hegemonic male model.  

Authors: Joyce Takaindisa & Raramai Campbell 

This work is carried out with support from the CGIAR Climate Action Science Program (CASP), the CGIAR Food Frontiers and Security (FFS) Science Program, and the Gender Equality and Inclusion Accelerator (GEI). We would like to thank all funders who supported this research through their contributions to the CGIAR Trust Fund: https://www.cgiar.org/funders/