Exploring the land, gender equality and climate justice nexus in West and Eastern Africa

Africa is among the regions that will be hardest hit by the climate catastrophe, with devastating impacts on livelihoods, food insecurity and human health. Yet, the continent only contributes 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and receives only a tiny share of global climate funding. The connection between land and climate is still not receiving adequate attention. The combined effects of increased droughts, desertification, floods, and soil erosion are anticipated to lead to the loss of agricultural and grazing lands, and increased conflicts over resources. Adding to these pressures, the lands managed by Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs) are increasingly targeted by transnational corporations: they contain critical minerals for the ecological transition, and their forests and rangelands are seen as strategic reservoirs of carbon to be maximized for carbon offsetting, leading to a new wave of land grabbing. In this context, it is key to keep Indigenous Peoples and local communities on the land, protect their human rights and communal land ownership, and support their efforts to adapt to climate change. While climate projects may create opportunities for women, climate action may lead to an additional care burden for women who are often the main “beneficiaries”or targets of climate interventions (planting trees, protecting water springs, …). At the same time, women remain excluded from land and climate governance and are likely to be more impacted by the climate crisis than their male counterparts. Women are also more affected by loss of agricultural land as they rely on access to land as key means of food production for the family or as a source of income. Land rights, gender equality and climate change are connected in intricate but underexplored ways. Since 2020, the 4 grassroots organizations engaged in the research project on Women’s Right to Communal Land - CNOP-G (Guinea), COFERSA (Mali), KPL (Kenya) and PWC (Tanzania) - have documented and supported efforts to advance women’s right to land within communal land governance systems. In this next research phase, we will further explore the land, gender and climate nexus and refine our collective understanding of women’s right to land in the context of the climate crisis.