This study examines the gendered and place-based dimensions of perceived recovery capacity in rural Indigenous Fijian (iTaukei) communities following Tropical Cyclone Winston in 2016. Drawing from a resilience framework that integrates social capital and intersectional gender analysis, we use household survey data and a logistic regression to explore how experience, gender, trust, and place-based factors interact to shape perceptions of recovery and adaptive capacity. The findings show that perceived recovery capacity is associated with current household recovery status, community location, and for women, trust in other members of their community. More specifically we found that in communities with higher levels of trust, women had greater confidence in their ability to recover from future cyclones. This study therefore contributes to growing debates on gendered resilience by illustrating how trust functions as both a structural and relational enabler of recovery and adaptive capacity. Strengthening social trust, cohesion, and inclusive governance is hence critical to fostering equitable, gender-responsive resilience across Pacific Islands and other small island developing states contexts facing intensifying climate and disaster risks.