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Paper short abstract

Based on research in Nepal, this paper shows how male outmigration and climate stress increase women’s visibility in irrigation governance without real authority. It identifies mechanisms sustaining patriarchal control and questions participatory reforms under overlapping crises.

Paper long abstract

Rural livelihoods and communal resource governance in South Asia are being reshaped by climatic and socio-demographic changes driven by male outmigration. Although existing literature suggests that men’s absence creates opportunities for women’s empowerment through greater visibility in decision-making spaces, there is limited evidence on whether this representation leads to genuine agency.

Drawing on empirical research from Nepal, using FGDs (7), KIIs (30), and semi-structured interviews (120), this paper argues that increased female representation and labour contributions in irrigation management have not translated into meaningful governance authority.

The analysis identifies five mechanisms that maintain patriarchal control: (1) entrenched gender norms and land–financial structures; (2) “remote patriarchy”, where absent migrants retain authority; (3) intersectional caste and class disparities; (4) institutional erosion following climate disasters and youth outmigration; and (5) climate-related despair and the loss of agrarian futures, which weaken incentives for long-term governance engagement.

By examining gendered decision-making power in water governance in the context of climate change and mobility, the paper shows how demographic change, ecological stress, and gender norms interact to produce visibility without power. The findings contribute to debates on climate mobility, the feminisation of agriculture, and water governance, and highlight the limits of participatory reforms under overlapping crises. By foregrounding women’s everyday labour and decision-making practices that remain largely unrecognised within formal governance structures, the paper situates these findings within broader debates on epistemic justice in development.