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Abstract

The paper unearths how climate change influences women’s security dynamics in fragile and conflict-affected contexts in Baragoi Samburu County Kenya. It provides an opportunity to rethink security. Security responses must be at par with evolving security underlying forces. One of the precursors is that individuals and groups that were traditionally excluded from combat both as participants and targets such as women and children have now become prime targets. This demands a shift in strategy by not only focusing on traditional threats but also getting more specific linking our approaches to gendered non-traditional security threats. Alternative soft power approaches to addressing insecurity are timely. Framing response to banditry as war creates a narrative with several implications that are suited to extend, stigmatize and prolong the violence. As Baragoi populace, continue to struggle with the adverse impacts of climate shocks, banditry, and hard power securitized interventions. An additional revelation is the interlink between low response that further aggravates women’s adaptation to the conflict-climate nexus and fragility. It is agreeable that the climate crisis is a threat to everyone. However, it does not affect everyone to the same extent, and too often magnifies gender inequalities. Gender and identity can either undermine or support security resilience in response to shocks. More broadly, climate “uneven vulnerability” and gender inequality overlap to shape women’s adaptation and resilience. There is growing evidence that the adverse effects of climate change increases both “risk” and “severity” of violent conflict on women. However, the impact of climate change has not yet been adequately incorporated into fragility or analysis of women peace security dynamics. In view of the multi-faceted nature of gendered causal factors and rapid evolving trends, timely and fresh perspectives and approaches are required to foster resilience, mitigation and adaptation. In this context, comprehensive gendered early warning and response systems play a substantial role in building absorptive capacity and reducing the impact of hazards. At the same time, timely response on early warning by governments and other authorities can significantly mitigate the effects of disasters and decrease mortality rates. The better we understand what drives the “differentiated outcomes”, the better policies and interventions can be tailored to strengthen resilience for all. This calls for new diplomatic shift in security to revolve around conflict-climate risks. Gender Inclusion has to be at the center of prevention efforts. The above discourse serves as a poignant testament to the complex tapestry which serves as setback in knowledge regeneration, policy, practice and to a great extent, the constrictions of “traditional security” vis-a-vis “nontraditional approaches”. The study employed a qualitative method of data collection to obtain secondary data. Specifically, this design highlighted the perspectives, history, perceptions, expectations and social construction of the thematic areas. The study, therefore, is one of the ways to intervene on the long protracted conflict which is a congruence of political, social, cultural and security dimensions. The human security approach is intended to present an inclusive, participatory platform, with “equal power dynamics” and “diverse perspectives” to integrate climate risks into security and development plans. The study also provides policy recommendations and some of the best practices.

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