Women and Climate Adaptation in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa: Constraints and Research Priorities

Clara Delavallade, Melanie Colette Jacqueline Gittard and Julia Vaillant

No 11095, Policy Research Working Paper Series from The World Bank

Abstract: Sub-Saharan Africa is highly vulnerable to climate change, with rural women dis- proportionately affected due to pre-existing gender inequalities that both increase their need for adaptation and constrain their ability to adopt strategies. This paper reviews empirical evidence on key barriers to women’s climate adaptation, identifies critical knowledge gaps, and outlines a gender-informed policy and research agenda. Focusing on on-farm and off-farm adaptation strategies‒including climate-smart agriculture, weather insurance, income diversification, and migration‒the paper highlights key constraints limiting women’s adaptive capacity: financial limitations, restricted asset control and ownership, gender norms positioning women as primary caregivers and shock absorbers, lower human and social capital, and limited access to climate and technology information. Substantial gaps remain in understanding how women’s financial literacy, institutional trust, risk and climate perception, and social networks affect their adaptation. Evidence-supported interventions include information provision on climate-smart agricultural technologies and social protection, while emerging but less established interventions include socio-emotional skills programs, childcare, and land titling. Underexplored yet promising interventions involve expanding women’s access to digital climate services, strengthening social networks, and engaging men in shifting intra-household roles. Significant knowledge gaps persist regarding the main constraints women face in adopting migration as an adaptation strategy.

Date: 2025-04-01
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