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Women & IKS in the Fight Against Climate Change in Zaka

In Zaka North, Ward 2, where the earth cracks under relentless drought and the rains arrive too late or too fiercely, women are turning to the wisdom of their ancestors to survive.

Here, climate change is not just a distant scientific concept; it is a daily struggle for food, water, and resilience. And in this struggle, Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS), passed down through generations, are proving vital.

Women listen to nature, observe skies, stars and clouds, actively participate in rain-making ceremonies, blending with modern meteorological alerts to plan for both planting and disasters. However, IKS is under threat, on the verge of total collapse, worsening uncertainties of climate change.  

“In the past, we listened to the Dendera bird (Southern Ground Hornbill) to predict rains,” says Mbuya Mujaji, her hands caked with soil from her garden. “But now, the bird is scarce. Maybe it has fled these changing skies.”

Indigenous communities have long relied on nature’s signals, birdsongs, insect movements, even the ache in their bones to forecast weather. “When my joints pain me, I know rain is coming in a short space of time,” Mbuya Mujaji added. “And when butterflies dance from east to west, we prepare for a good season.”

However, these signs are fading. Unpredictable weather, disappearing species, and the erosion of intergenerational knowledge threaten to silence these ancestral voices. “Our children no longer stay with us long enough to learn,”. “Modern life pulls them away,’ says Ward 2 Councilor Mamvura

In Zaka, women are the farmers, and the keepers of IKS. They preserve seeds, dry vegetables for lean seasons, and pass down farming techniques that maintain soil fertility. “Our mothers taught us through stories,” says a woman from Mutsambwa Village.

Sugar bean production

Some elders believe the climate’s wrath is spiritual. “The ancestors are angry because we’ve abandoned rain-making ceremonies,” says Village Head, Mr Mutsambwa. Others point to deforestation and industrial farming.

In Zaka, resilience has always been a chorus, of women’s voices, of birdsong, of creaking joints and rustling leaves. And though some parts of the song may be fading, the melody persists.

Women in rural areas need support to strengthen their resilience as they relay primarily on climate sensitive natural resources, and so are disproportionately affected by climate change

Gamuchirai Mutsambwa, Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Climate Science, Resilience and Livelihoods, University of Zimbabwe

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