In Sub-Saharan Africa, rural households are exposed to extreme climate events, which threaten the natural resources and agricultural yields that help support livelihoods. Literature supports that vulnerability is compounded in rural female-headed households, which demonstrate less indicators of adaptive capacity when compared to male-headed counterparts. The presented research investigates if gender-based differences in vulnerability persist in community-based conservation areas (CBC’s), which seek to support human livelihoods while preserving environmental and natural resources. The Kavango Zambezi Vulnerability and Adaption Project (KAZAVA) team conducted 720 household livelihood surveys in Zambia, Botswana, and Namibia to evaluate information related to income, material wealth, agriculture, natural resource use, and socio-demographic information. Using this data, I have compiled a Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) to encapsulate the many dimensions of climate vulnerability. Significant differences between female and male headed households were assessed by applying a Welch’s t-test, analysis of variance, and Tukey honestly significant difference (HSD) tests to LVI scores. The results of this study indicate that while some expected disparities persist within the study area, others do not. I explore these results in relationship to the potential role of CBC’s in reducing disparities through generation of additional employment. This study aims to deepen the understanding of the relationship between gendered vulnerabilities and climate, to identify vulnerable populations within our studied communities, and to provide insight on how policy and employment opportunity can be used to promote climate justice in rural areas.