How to play the gender and climate game

The guide outlines a simulation game where participants act as subsistence farmers managing assets (beans) against climate risks (droughts and floods). The game progresses from a gender-neutral phase to one that introduces systemic inequalities—such as lower starting assets for women and lower harvest payouts—to spark dialogue on climate vulnerability. An optional 'gender-smart programming' round demonstrates how targeted interventions can equalize outcomes by providing equal starting assets and harvest rewards regardless of gender.

• The game's primary learning objectives are to examine how climate change impacts increase existing vulnerabilities and to facilitate dialogue regarding gender inequalities.
• The simulation models climate risk through three seed options: normal seeds (costing one bean), and flood-resistant or drought-resistant varieties (costing two beans each). Success or failure is determined by a weather card, with successful harvests yielding two beans and failures requiring a payment of four beans to the central pot.
• The 'Gender surprise' phase introduces systemic disadvantages for women, including lower initial endowments (four beans compared to five for men) and lower harvest payouts (two beans compared to three for men).
• Additional vulnerabilities are simulated using mini cards for attributes such as pregnancy, disability, illness, or old age; in the standard game, these attributes require the player to surrender one bean from their harvest.
• The 'gender-smart programming' variant demonstrates a model where women receive the same starting endowment (five beans) and harvest payout (three beans) as men, and those with additional vulnerabilities receive an extra bean upon a successful harvest.

APA

de Suarez, J. M., Dupar, M., Andargatchew, A., Sandal, G., & Sadhukhan, B. (2020). How to play the gender and climate game. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Facilitators-guide-to-the-simplified-and-adapted-gender-and-climate-game_2020_Ethiopia-version_final.pdf

Chicago

de Suarez, Janot Mendler, Mairi Dupar, Arsema Andargatchew, Geeta Sandal, and Bedoshruti Sadhukhan. How to play the gender and climate game. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2020. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Facilitators-guide-to-the-simplified-and-adapted-gender-and-climate-game_2020_Ethiopia-version_final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=de Suarez |first1=Janot Mendler |last2=Dupar |first2=Mairi |last3=Andargatchew |first3=Arsema |last4=Sandal |first4=Geeta |last5=Sadhukhan |first5=Bedoshruti |title=How to play the gender and climate game |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=2020 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Facilitators-guide-to-the-simplified-and-adapted-gender-and-climate-game_2020_Ethiopia-version_final.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{desuarez2020how, author = {de Suarez, Janot Mendler and Dupar, Mairi and Andargatchew, Arsema and Sandal, Geeta and Sadhukhan, Bedoshruti}, title = {{How to play the gender and climate game}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2020}, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Facilitators-guide-to-the-simplified-and-adapted-gender-and-climate-game_2020_Ethiopia-version_final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }