Gender differences on the choices of a portfolio of climate change adaptation strategies in Ethiopia

Gender-based intra-household resource distributions constitute an important role in technology adoption-related decisions. Using a non-unitary household model and fitting an empirical adoption model for men and women individually and jointly, we examine how gender-based ownership, management and control of resources are correlated with adoptions of a portfolio of climate change adaptation strategies. Our analysis is based on recent household survey data with detailed household plot-level information about adaptation strategies, plot ownership, farm management decisions, and the right to control outputs from the plots among spouses within the household. The observed patterns of women's ownership, management and economic rights of land suggest that all are important aspects of women's bargaining power. We found compelling evidence regarding the overlapping effects of the different gender-linked-land-based rights on the adoption of a portfolio of adaptation strategies. The empirical findings emphasize the importance of incorporating gender-based intra-household interactions and joint resource ownership and decision making in climate change adaptation.