Women play an essential role in environmental sustainability and climate resilience across Africa. In the IGAD region, which includes Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda, women are primary contributors to agriculture, water management, and community-led conservation efforts.
However, despite their critical contributions, women often face limited access to land, climate adaptation resources, climate information, financial support, and policy recognition.
These pre-existing structural inequalities in many societies across the IGAD region expose women- particularly those in rural areas and marginalized communities- to disproportionate impacts of climate change. Increased droughts, floods, and desertification threaten food security, water access, and livelihoods—sectors where women are most active. Additionally, displacement due to climate-related disasters places extra burdens on women, who are often primary caregivers and household managers. Displacement often heightens their vulnerability to protection risks, including gender-based violence, rape, and exploitation.
In pastoral communities mainly, the economic pressure from climate disasters has resulted in a rise in child marriages, which serve as a harmful coping strategy that restricts young girls from accessing education and economic opportunities.
IGAD’s Efforts to Empower Women in Climate Action
Recognizing the urgent need for gender-responsive climate policies, IGAD has spearheaded several initiatives to enhance women’s roles in environmental governance and resilience-building. Key interventions include:
- Gender-Responsive Climate Forecasting and Early Warning Systems
IGAD’s Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) is making deliberate efforts to ensures that generation, translation, transfer and use of climate information are inclusive and accessible to all. By tailoring climate information to needs of women farmers, traders, and community leaders, ICPAC empowers women to take proactive measures against climate-related shocks.
- Women-Led Climate Adaptation Programmes
Through initiatives such as the IGAD Drought Disaster Resilience and Sustainability Initiative (IDDRSI), IGAD supports women in adopting climate-smart agricultural techniques, sustainable water management, and alternative livelihoods that reduce environmental degradation.
- Policy and Advocacy for Gender-Inclusive Climate Action
IGAD actively champions gender-responsive climate policies by collaborating with member states to incorporate women’s perspectives into national climate action plans. The IGAD Gender Strategy ensures that climate interventions address women’s needs, rights, and economic opportunities.
- Financial Inclusion for Women in Climate Solutions
Limited access to financing is a major barrier to women’s participation in climate adaptation. IGAD, in partnership with international financial institutions, is working to expand microfinance and green investment opportunities tailored to women entrepreneurs in climate-resilient sectors such as renewable energy and agroecology.
- Strengthening Women’s Leadership in Climate Governance
IGAD supports training and leadership programs that equip women with skills to participate in climate decision-making at local, national, and regional levels. By fostering peer networks and mentorship, IGAD ensures that women’s voices are amplified in climate negotiations and policy development.
- Gender Equality and Women Empowerment
Led by the IGAD Gender Unit, efforts to address the gender impacts of climate change in the IGAD region culminated in the launch of the IGAD Gender Equality Strategy 2023–2030. This strategy aims to transform commitments to gender equality, inclusion, and empowerment into tangible actions. It prioritizes women’s rights as human rights, promotes inclusive democracy, supports economic empowerment, ensures equal access to education, and advocates for the equitable use of natural resources. Emphasising women’s rights, economic empowerment, and equal access to resources, the strategy positions women at the forefront of climate action.
The Way Forward
For climate resilience efforts to be truly effective, women must be at the centre of decision-making and implementation. IGAD and its member states must continue to advance gender-inclusive policies, access to climate information, expand financial opportunities for women, and strengthen community-led adaptation strategies. Investing in women is a strategic step toward achieving sustainable development and environmental resilience in the Horn of Africa and beyond.
The international community must also step-up support for IGAD’s gender-responsive climate initiatives. By recognizing and enhancing women’s roles in climate action, IGAD is paving the way for a more resilient and equitable future in the face of climate change.
