As the climate crisis continues to deepen, there have been calls for adaptation and mitigation approaches that rely on nature-based solutions. These solutions are approaches that offer the potential to reduce and remove greenhouse gas emissions. Examples include forest restoration, coastal wetland conservation, and no-till agriculture, among other practices. In this thesis, I employ an intersectional feminist political ecology perspective to critically examine the integration of gender equity within such nature-based solutions. I make two interrelated arguments using a qualitative methodology and an intensive case study of three projects in Ghana. First, I argue that women’s participation in nature-based solutions is frequently constrained by structural inequities, entrenched gender norms, and limited access to resources. Second, I contend that meaningful participation and tokenism are critical issues that occur in the design, implementation, and adaptive governance of nature-based solutions. While organizations promoting nature-based solutions purport to take gender equity seriously, the approaches adopted are often tokenistic. Also, projects rarely move beyond the simple inclusion of women and men, and there is often no serious attempt to address intersectional dimensions of inequality along the axes of class, age, and marital status. Ultimately, I show how nature-based solutions to climate change can be implemented with gender-transformative approaches that benefit both people and nature. By uncovering structural inequities and tokenistic approaches hindering women’s participation, this thesis underscores the underutilization of women, the largest segment of the population, in efforts to combat climate change.
","abstract_html":"<p>As the climate crisis continues to deepen, there have been calls for adaptation and mitigation approaches that rely on nature-based solutions. These solutions are approaches that offer the potential to reduce and remove greenhouse gas emissions. Examples include forest restoration, coastal wetland conservation, and no-till agriculture, among other practices. In this thesis, I employ an intersectional feminist political ecology perspective to critically examine the integration of gender equity within such nature-based solutions. I make two interrelated arguments using a qualitative methodology and an intensive case study of three projects in Ghana. First, I argue that women’s participation in nature-based solutions is frequently constrained by structural inequities, entrenched gender norms, and limited access to resources. Second, I contend that meaningful participation and tokenism are critical issues that occur in the design, implementation, and adaptive governance of nature-based solutions. While organizations promoting nature-based solutions purport to take gender equity seriously, the approaches adopted are often tokenistic. Also, projects rarely move beyond the simple inclusion of women and men, and there is often no serious attempt to address intersectional dimensions of inequality along the axes of class, age, and marital status. Ultimately, I show how nature-based solutions to climate change can be implemented with gender-transformative approaches that benefit both people and nature. By uncovering structural inequities and tokenistic approaches hindering women’s participation, this thesis underscores the underutilization of women, the largest segment of the population, in efforts to combat climate change.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Yamoah, Stephanie Efua"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"M.A. in Geography","degree_level":"Masters Thesis","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Hanson Nyantakyi-Frimpong","Erika Trigoso Rubio","Singumbe Muyeba"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2024,"date_issued":"2024-06-15T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2024-06-15T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:01:48Z","subjects":["Gender equity","Intersectional feminist political ecology","Nature-based solutions","Tokenism","Environmental Sciences","Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies","Geography","Natural Resources and Conservation","Natural Resources Management and Policy","Other Geography","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Women's Studies"],"languages":["English (eng)"],"rights":["Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
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"]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["How Well Do Nature-Based Solutions to Climate Change Address Gender Equity?"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Hanson Nyantakyi-Frimpong","Erika Trigoso Rubio","Singumbe Muyeba"],"dc:creator":["Yamoah, Stephanie Efua"],"dc:date.available":["2026-08-12T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["As the climate crisis continues to deepen, there have been calls for adaptation and mitigation approaches that rely on nature-based solutions. These solutions are approaches that offer the potential to reduce and remove greenhouse gas emissions. Examples include forest restoration, coastal wetland conservation, and no-till agriculture, among other practices. In this thesis, I employ an intersectional feminist political ecology perspective to critically examine the integration of gender equity within such nature-based solutions. I make two interrelated arguments using a qualitative methodology and an intensive case study of three projects in Ghana. First, I argue that women’s participation in nature-based solutions is frequently constrained by structural inequities, entrenched gender norms, and limited access to resources. Second, I contend that meaningful participation and tokenism are critical issues that occur in the design, implementation, and adaptive governance of nature-based solutions. While organizations promoting nature-based solutions purport to take gender equity seriously, the approaches adopted are often tokenistic. Also, projects rarely move beyond the simple inclusion of women and men, and there is often no serious attempt to address intersectional dimensions of inequality along the axes of class, age, and marital status. Ultimately, I show how nature-based solutions to climate change can be implemented with gender-transformative approaches that benefit both people and nature. By uncovering structural inequities and tokenistic approaches hindering women’s participation, this thesis underscores the underutilization of women, the largest segment of the population, in efforts to combat climate change.
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