Climate change, livelihoods, gender and violence in Rukiga, Uganda: intersections and pathways

Climate change disproportionately affects poorer countries like Uganda, intensifying poverty and livelihood stress, which can escalate gender-based violence (GBV). This study, though not originally intended to focus on GBV, examines how it interconnects with poverty, shifting gender roles, alcoholism, environmental stress, and family planning dynamics. Between April and July 2021, we conducted 28 focus group discussions (FGDs), comprising 6-8 participants each, stratified by sex and age (18-25, 25-49, and mixed 50+ groups). Additionally, 40 key informant interviews (KIIs) were held in Rukiga district, Uganda. Purposive sampling was applied. Data were organised in NVivo 12 and analysed thematically. Participants described GBV, including intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, child abuse, and early marriage, as widespread and normalised. Two main interconnected driver clusters emerged. First, poverty, male alcohol use, and shifting gender norms contributed to household instability. As men abandoned provider roles, women assumed more responsibilities, provoking conflict and sometimes violence from disempowered male partners. Second, environmental degradation and climate-related stressors (droughts, floods, soil erosion) worsened economic hardship, tensions, and GBV. Population growth and limited land access further strained livelihoods. While family planning was generally supported, male opposition sometimes triggered conflict. Climate change impacts are gendered, with GBV pathways shaped by shifting gender roles, norms, and relations destabilised by environmental and livelihood pressures. Addressing GBV in climate-affected communities requires gender-transformative environmental and livelihood programmes. This should include strengthened social and structural resilience to challenge inequitable gender norms and power imbalances.