ABSTRACT
Understanding and addressing climate change as a social phenomenon introduces multiple social dimensions. The gendered labours of climate change adaptation represent some of those dimensions – and ones to which feminist scholars and practitioners are well positioned to contribute. This chapter begins by considering research gaps and the challenges of applying feminist scholarship to climate change issues, particularly in the context of Canadian forestry. Next, it describes the context by explaining some of the social characteristics of forest-based communities. This context helps explain challenges they face for adaptation. Research undertaken on gender and adaptation in other rural contexts in post-industrial countries including the effects of drought, flooding and fire is then described, followed by three broad avenues of research. Conclusions focus on very real challenges and requirements for generating useful, applied research on gender and climate change adaptation founded on principles of feminist scholarship.
