Thumbnail Image

Women's leadership and gender equality in climate action and disaster risk reduction in Africa

A call for action

Copyright licence

Year of publication 2021

Place of publication Accra, Ghana ;

Pages 12p.

Author FAO, ARC

Publisher FAO ; The African Risk Capacity (ARC) ;

Product type Policy brief

Category Policy brief

ISBN 978-92-5-135234-2

Edition 1

To cite or share https://doi.org/10.4060/cb7431en

Synopsis (short abstract) Despite the key roles that rural women play in food systems, in agrobiodiversity conservation, natural resource management, food production, preparation and marketing, rural women are particularly affected by the impacts of climate change due to limited access and control over resources fundamental to adaptation and limited participation in decision-making processes. Similarly, they lack equal access to productive resources needed for agricultural livelihoods, and are often the last to eat when food is scarce. Decision-making and leadership in climate action and governance are also male dominated and the decisions less likely to respond to women’s needs and wants. It is therefore urgent to ensure that policy and programmatic response for building back better and strengthening the resilience of food systems and communities takes into account the interests and constraints of women and men from diverse social, cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds. For this to happen, it is important to strengthen women’s leadership and participation at all levels of climate action and governance.

Cite this content as:

FAO and ARC. 2021. Women’s leadership and gender equality in climate action and disaster risk reduction in Africa – A call for action. Accra, FAO. 

https://doi.org/10.4060/cb7431en

Language English

Also available in:

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • Thumbnail Image
    Brochure, flyer, fact-sheet
    Brochure
    Advancing Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment through Climate-resilient Agriculture: Experiences and Ways Forward from the Joint Programme on Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment 2022
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    This policy brief is part of a series to present evidence from the strategies and praxis of the UN Joint Programme on Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment (JP RWEE). Based on case studies, experiences and evaluations from the JP RWEE, it draws conclusions and makes recommendations for expanding sustainable development and climate change policies and programmes, particularly for climate-resilient agriculture, that simultaneously advance rural women’s economic empowerment and protect the planet. It aims to enable international, national and local stakeholders to formulate evidence-based policies and practices that build on JP RWEE achievements to date, and also to address challenges and gaps towards the effective promotion of gender equality in a rapidly changing climate.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Policy brief
    Policy brief
    Strengthening gender-responsive climate policies and actions in the livestock sector 2022
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    About 600 million of the world’s poorest households keep livestock as an essential source of income and food production to manage risk, store wealth and build up assets. However, women face several constraints to ownership and decision-making power in the sector. Scaling up culturally acceptable and locally available solutions requires government intervention through intentional policies that can empower women. Further, more funds should be allocated to replicate successful gender-responsive and transformative projects and identify entry points to mainstream gender considerations into livestock policies. This brief showcases promising research and innovation, particularly from countries engaged through the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Flexible Multi-Partner Mechanism (FMM) 149 project. India and Botswana are highlighted as examples to inform policymakers and guide gender-responsive, climate-smart investments and policies in countries’ livestock sectors. This brief is part of a series. Other briefs on climate-smart agriculture, agrifood value chains, and aquaculture and fisheries are available.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    Manual / guide
    Training guide on gender and climate change research in agriculture and food security for rural development 2013
    Also available in:
    The guide is an important resource for development professionals and researchers working with households and communities. The objective of the gender and climate training guide is to address the lack of information on how men and women adapt to, and mitigate climate change. The Participatory Action Research methods and activities of the guide help ensure that gender is reflected in research activities and outcomes. The guide will help promote gender-sensitive adaptation and mitigation activities in projects for agriculture and food security. A gender-sensitive approach in agriculture is crucial to ensure that all people are supported to respond to climatic challenges.
Show more

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

  • Thumbnail Image
    Booklet
    High-profile
    FAO Strategy on Climate Change 2022–2031 2022
    Also available in:
    The FAO Strategy on Climate Change 2022–2031 was endorsed by FAO Council in June 2022. This new strategy replaces the previous strategy from 2017 to better FAO's climate action with the Strategic Framework 2022-2031, and other FAO strategies that have been developed since then. The Strategy was elaborated following an inclusive process of consultation with FAO Members, FAO staff from headquarters and decentralized offices, as well as external partners. It articulates FAO's vision for agrifood systems by 2050, around three main pillars of action: at global and regional level, at country level, and at local level. The Strategy also encourages key guiding principles for action, such as science and innovation, inclusiveness, partnerships, and access to finance.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Book (stand-alone)
    High-profile
    Status of the World's Soil Resources: Main Report 2015
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    The SWSR is a reference document on the status of global soil resources that provides regional assessments of soil change. The information is based on peer-reviewed scientific literature, complemented with expert knowledge and project outputs. It provides a description and a ranking of ten major soil threats that endanger ecosystem functions, goods and services globally and in each region separately. Additionally, it describes direct and indirect pressures on soils and ways and means to combat s oil degradation. The report contains a Synthesis report for policy makers that summarizes its findings, conclusions and recommendations.

    The full report has been divided into sections and individual chapters for ease of downloading:
  • Thumbnail Image
    Booklet
    Corporate general interest
    Emissions due to agriculture
    Global, regional and country trends 2000–2018
    2021
    Also available in:
    No results found.
    The FAOSTAT emissions database is composed of several data domains covering the categories of the IPCC Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector of the national GHG inventory. Energy use in agriculture is additionally included as relevant to emissions from agriculture as an economic production sector under the ISIC A statistical classification, though recognizing that, in terms of IPCC, they are instead part of the Energy sector of the national GHG inventory. FAO emissions estimates are available over the period 1961–2018 for agriculture production processes from crop and livestock activities. Land use emissions and removals are generally available only for the period 1990–2019. This analytical brief focuses on overall trends over the period 2000–2018.
Show more