6533b857fe1ef96bd12b45aa

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Gender, Weather Shocks and Welfare: Evidence from Malawi

Solomon AsfawGiuseppe Maggio

subject

Consumption (economics)Labour economicsbusiness.industry050204 development studiesmedia_common.quotation_subjectHB05 social sciencesVulnerabilityDevelopmentAffect (psychology)Investment (macroeconomics)HB0251HAgriculture0502 economics and businessEconomics050207 economicsweather shocksLand tenurebusinessWelfaremedia_commonPanel data

description

This paper explores the gender-differentiated effects of weather shocks on households’ welfare in Malawi using panel data aligned with climatic records. Results show that temperature shocks severely affect household welfare, reducing consumption, food consumption and daily caloric intake. The negative welfare effects are more severe for households where land is solely managed by women, a finding that sheds light on the gender-unequal impact of temperature shocks. Our evidence also suggests that women’s vulnerability to temperature shocks is linked to women’s land tenure security, as temperature shocks impact significantly women’s welfare only in patrilineal districts, where statistics show that investment in agricultural technologies is lower.

https://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.4595629