Turkana’s Boiling Bowl: Extreme Heat and Social Norms fuel Gender Inequality

Margaret Mambori Mwaila , Leah Murkomen, Alice Odingo, Kennedy J. Omoke , Gilbert Ouma, Joseph Mutemi, Ellen Dyer

Climate change impedes human and economic development globally. The frequency, intensity, and duration of climate extremes, including droughts, floods, heatwaves and cyclones, pose significant threats to health, nutrition, water access, livelihoods and ecosystems. Due to escalating extreme weather events, more populations are becoming vulnerable with women and girls increasingly exposed to adverse impacts. 
This mixed-methods study examines how entrenched social norms exacerbate the impacts of extreme heat on women in Turkana County, Kenya. Findings highlight gendered disparities in exposure, coping and support access, calling for gender-responsive, localized adaptation measures to address climate inequity and injustice.