Climate change is expected to reduce crop and livestock productivity leading to increased hunger and food insecurity. Negative impacts of climate change on food security can however be reduced by formulating effective adaptation strategies. Factors such as financial, social, individual, cultural, and institutional influence individual and household’s capacity to experience, respond and adapt to climate change with implications for food security. These factors are not equally distributed between men and women. This study examines gender differences in climate change experience, impacts, and adaptations and how these influence food security. We use both quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data was collected using structured questionnaires. To allow for intra-household gender dynamics we interviewed both the husband and wife in male-headed households. In female-headed households, we interviewed the female head and an adult male if present. Qualitative data was collected using focus group discussions (FGDs). Participants for the FGDs were selected from the list of respondents to the quantitative interviews. Data was collected from three agricultural zones in Makueni County, Kenya. Understanding gender differences in climate change experience, impacts, and adaptation is important in enabling the development of policies to promote the adaptive capacity of all genders which contributes towards SDG 5 of promoting gender equality. Further, understanding how different adaptation strategies affect household food security is an important starting point for identifying effective ways to reduce food insecurity thereby contributing to SDG goal 2 of zero hunger.
