Abstract
The experience of climate change is filtered through ones existing cultural, social and economic
vulnerabilities. The rural poor in natural resource dependent communities in various African
countries are likely to be negatively affected by climate change. In many cultures female
farmers are considerably worse off than their male counterparts. This study makes use of a life
history methodology in order to examine the particular nature of the vulnerability experienced
by rural women in Oku in the Bamenda Highlands region of Cameroon. Gender is linked to
vulnerability through a number of factors. These include access to and control over land,
division of labour, marriage relationships, access to education and responsibility for
dependents. Participants’ life histories show how vulnerability in the region develops over time
and is both complex and non‐linear. Nevertheless, the participants expressed how they used
their agency, both individual and collective, in coping with vulnerability. They narrate different
adaptation strategies employed including livelihood diversification, and changing farming
practices. Understanding the role of gender in shaping women’s vulnerability is useful in
informing the design and implementation of adaptation policies. This article makes an empirical
contribution to the discussions on the need to engender climate change research, policy and
actions.