Rural Women Perception towards Climate Variability and their Adaptation: Application of Grounded Theory (The case of Fars Province)

Men and women experience climate change in different ways. Since they have socially distinct roles, responsibilities, and identities leading to choose different adaptive strategies and responses. Rural women are vulnerable to climate change impacts due to their high dependence on natural resources. The purpose of this study was to analyze the perception of rural women in Fars province regarding climate variability. This study is a qualitative research and is based on the Grounded Theory. Six focus groups interviews were used to collect the required data in four climatic regions of Fars province including cold, moderate, hot, and very hot that had experienced mild, moderate and severe drought. Themes and concepts were analyzed. According to the results, a paradigmatic model was developed for the adaptation of rural women to climate variability. Causal conditions refer to human activities in this model. Also, contextual and intervening conditions affect the application of adaptation strategies for rural women. Type and diversity of households' income source, women's roles and responsibilities are among the most important contextual conditions limiting the use of adaptation strategies by rural women. Also, intervening conditions included the lack of sales markets, reduced purchasing power of rural people, unpredictability of the government export and import policies in agricultural products, and increased inflation (that makes inputs more expensive and thus reduces investment power).