By Henry Neondo
Today, on a day when the world observes International Women’s Day, the African Coalition of Communities Responding to Climate Change (ACCRCC) joins women across the continent who shoulder the weight of the climate crisis. We acknowledge and celebrate the resilience, innovation and leadership of African women in addressing climate change and call for the urgent investments necessary to support African women in shaping a sustainable future.
Women Fighting the Frontlines of Climate Change
Climate change hits women hardest, especially women from rural communities in Africa that rely on natural resources and rain-fed agriculture for their livelihoods. Reaching temperatures, extended droughts, irregular precipitation, and intense weather events threaten food security, water availability, and economic stability — worsening the existing gender inequalities. As primary caregivers, farmers, and water collectors, women are left to negotiate these socioeconomic challenges with few resources or institutional support within their patriarchal societies that continue to abet the inequalities.
In spite of these challenges, women in Africa have been emerging as key agents of change in their struggle for climate resilience. From grassroots adaptation efforts, including advocating for environmental justice at national and global levels, they are effecting meaningful change.
To do that, the world has to acknowledge and support their work by properly investing in gender-responsive climate policies and programs.
The Critical Imperative of Investing in Women
Investing in women is not only the right thing to do but also a smart response to the climate crisis. In 2024, the African Coalition of Communities Responsive to Climate Change with the support of Climate Action of Canada through the ALINEA conducted studies in Kajiado (Kenya), Uganda and Ethiopia which showed that including women in climate action leads to more impact and sustainable results. Yet women are still underrepresented in climate governance due to gender-specific barriers to land, finance, education and decision-making platforms.
As the ACCRCC, we must now call upon governments, international institutions, private sector actors, and civil society to increase Climate financing which should be channeled directly towards women, supporting women led action so that they can access the funds that will allow them to deliver the healing change required for their communities.
Further, we call for strengthened legal frameworks that protects women’s ownership and control over land, for land security is critical for climate adaptation and food security.
Crucially important however is the need to create seats at the table for women, especially from grassroots communities, in national, regional and global climate policy decision-making.
Without doubt the urgent need for climate adaptation programs that have women at the center of their strategies, such as projects on sustainable agriculture, renewable energy and water management exist.
On this International Women’s Day, we honor the incredible contributions of African women who are at the forefront of fighting climate change. From the women of the Sahel who are reclaiming degraded lands through agroforestry, to the fisherwomen in coastal Kenya adopting sustainable fishing practices, to the Yamuna eco and climate activists in India who are fighting for action on pollution along their river, to young female climate activists worldwide who are demanding bold action, these women are the faces of resilience and ingenuity.
We shed light on the triumphs of women-led groups fighting for climate justice, deploying clean energy initiatives and donating sustainable agriculture. We need to amplify their stories and scale their solutions to make a wider impact throughout the continent.
A Call to Action
The struggle for climate justice and gender justice are inexorably linked. Crisis is not just about a lack of global warmth, it is also about transforming the systemic barriers that continue to inhibit women from accessing what is rightfully theirs. As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we call on all stakeholders to take urgent, stepwise action to invest in women as a core strategy for accelerating climate progress.
To climate action championed by African women: We see you. We stand with you. We pledge to Accelerate Action to elevate your voices and fight for what you need to create an Africa that is resilient to the climate crisis.
The writer is an climate advocacy, campaigns and communication specialist consulting for the ACCRCC