Worldwide, young people are calling for the transformation of their education systems to respond to climate breakdown. Yet, in order to achieve climate justice, any new education system must understand the gender implications present. The United Nations (UN) warns that climate change hits women hardest – and that this trend is anticipated to continue. Thus, the nature of gendered environmental vulnerabilities, and their root causes, must be understood and addressed. An emerging global movement is advocating permaculture as a well-placed design tool for fostering equitable, low-carbon, sustainable and resilient educational outcomes. Employing an ecofeminist perspective, this pertinent study utilises literature review as its methodological approach to investigate the following question. What relationships exist between climate change, environmental vulnerability and gendered vulnerabilities in Africa that require consideration by environmental education? It further explores current gender inequities in environmental education in Eswatini and some transformative approaches piloted in the African region to address gendered environmental inequities in relation to education. Key issues arising from the literature are discussed with the founder of a permaculture-inspired pre-school in Eswatini. This study found that, by utilising permaculture ethics and principles, most issues arising from the literature had been accounted for by the pre-school. These results develop the case for permaculture education as a favourable educational approach for this crucial moment in human history. Further research into the viability of wider permaculture education is recommended. Having identified the key gender and environment considerations for educators in Eswatini, this study concludes that an education system seeking to support climate change mitigation and adaptation must place addressing gender inequity at the centre of its efforts.

1. Gender considerations for
education in the context of
climate crisis: A study of a
permaculture-inspired pre-
school in Eswatini
Georgina-Kate Adams
University College London, UK
IDSP Competition 2020
Emsworth, 23 July 2020

2. Introduction
 Global youth strikes over schools’ failure to respond to climate change.
 Women worst affected by climatic events / environmental degradation.
Climate justice: schools to understand gendered impacts of climate
change.
 Permaculture: Earth Care, People Care, Fair Shares. Permaculture
school in Eswatini. Does it understand gender?
 Eswatini – highly environmentally vulnerable. (Population = 31%
without drinking water, 70% subsistence farmers. 78% Swati land at risk
of desertification.) 41% households female-headed, yet systemic
gender inequality.
 Purpose of research = exploratory. Identify gendered environmental
vulnerabilities and thus gender considerations for environmental
education.

3. Research frameworks
 Research Qs:
- What relationships exist between climate change, environmental
vulnerability and gendered vulnerabilities in Africa that require
consideration by environmental education? (RQ1)
- What opportunities are there for education to increase the resilience
of women and girls and to reduce gender inequities in the context of
climate change? (RQ2)
 Critical research paradigm, informed by ecofeminism.
 “Ecofeminism is a theory and a movement which makes explicit the
links between the oppression of women and the oppression of nature in
patriarchal culture; an ethical position informed by ecofeminist thought
and activism is one which resists these oppressions.” (Russell & Bell,
1996)
 Mixture of secondary research (literature review) and primary research
(survey/illustrative expert interview). Qualitative approach.

4. Data collection
 Main source of data collection was literature review, complimented by
illustrative key respondent/expert interviews.
 Literature review of 49 key texts (RQ1, RQ 2). (DC1)
 Qualitative interview (RQ 1, RQ 2). (DC2)
- Purposive sample of one expert candidate. (Founder of Guba Farm
Playschool: a permaculture pre-school located in Malkerns, Eswatini.)
- Four virtual semi-structured personal interviews.
 Data format: text.

5. Literature review structure
 1) Issues of land and gender in Eswatini.
 2) Gendered issues of climate change vulnerability and adaptation in
Eswatini and the SADC region.
 3) Gendered issues and experiences of environmental education in
Africa.
 4) Ecofeminism and education.
 Chapters structure: literature review, interview data, analysis and
conclusion.

6. Findings
 Gender inequality in Eswatini (including in education) impacts individual
and collective environmental vulnerability. Thus schools have a key role
to play in addressing gendered vulnerabilities. (F1, RQ1, RQ2)
 Findings of literature reflected by interview with Eswatini permaculture
school founder. School had considered most gender issues raised by
the literature through adopting a permaculture approach to education.
(F2, RQ2)
 Limitation: results reflect one school, not all permaculture education.
 Recommendation: Permaculture school to improve monitoring of
gender safeguarding (at school and in disaster response / other CC
events).

7. References
 Russell, C.L. and Bell, A.C. (1996). A Politicized Ethic of Care: Environmental
Education from an Ecofeminist Perspective. In K.Warren (ed.). Women's Voices
in Experiential Education. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co.
 Nyawo, S. (2014). " Sowungumuntfukenyalo'-" You are now a real person": a
feminist analysis of how women's identities and personhood are constructed by
societal perceptions on fertility in the Swazi patriarchal family. Doctoral
dissertation. University of KwaZulu-Natal. Available at: http://ukzn-
dspace.ukzn.ac.za/handle/10413/12163 (Accessed: 11 February 2020)
 Chigwanda, E., 2016. A Framework for Building Resilience to Climate Change
Through Girls' Education Programming. Center for Universal Education at
Brookings.
 Jegede, A.O., 2017. Climate change education and gender: constructing the role
for the South African Commission on Gender Equality. Gender and
Behaviour, 15(4), pp.9891-9908.
 Pilgrim, K. and Davis, H.L., 2015. ‘More Crucial’ Matters: Reclaiming
‘Sustainability’ and Transcending the Rhetoric of ‘Choice’ through Ecofeminist
Pedagogy. Ethics & the Environment, 20(1), pp.123-139.

8. Reasons for funding
 First study investigating gendered implications of climate change in
Eswatini – and the contribution of education.
 Despite focus on Eswatini, builds the research base for understanding
and addressing gender climate justice through education in similar
contexts.
 Solutions-focused: Highlights potential alternative approaches.
Pioneers research on permaculture education in the Eswatini context.
 Study has implications beyond education sector: demonstrates
importance of gender equality for climate change resilience, raising the
agenda of gender equality in Eswatini at large.