Under what conditions does male power unravel in the face of climate change? This paper examines how drought and water scarcity destabilize patriarchal power in rural Maharashtra, India. Drawing on a micro-level survey of over 2,000 farmers and three months of qualitative fieldwork, it investigates how agricultural failure—driven by climate-induced drought—reshapes gender relations. I show that recurring droughts have generated a “marriage crisis” among male farmers: families are increasingly reluctant to marry their daughters to men dependent on failing agriculture. This demographic and social shock has profound political and psychological consequences. As men lose confidence in their traditional roles as economic providers, they increasingly withdraw from public life. Simultaneously, women’s value within households rises, and their bargaining power expands. In some cases, these shifts have facilitated reversals of entrenched gender norms and created new openings for women’s participation in politics and community leadership. By tracing these transformations, the project highlights climate change not only as an environmental crisis but also as a catalyst for social and gendered upheaval.
