Rural communities in the Teesta area, Bangladesh are affected by seasonal floods, flash floods, river bank erosion, and drought throughout the year, and experience high rates of poverty. Authors carried out group discussions and conducted six case studies, using a gender analysis framework to examine norms, practises and vulnerabilities. Women continue to experience discrimination and oppression due to patriarchal norms and practices, often regarding access to resources and therefore limiting their capacity to cope and respond to climatic stressors. Whilst there has been a shift in roles from caregivers to employed workers for some women, the dominant patriarchal practice of early marriage and dowry and discriminatory norms, maintain barriers to women’s mobility and their economic and social empowerment.