Climate change and agriculture explored in the Wikigender University online article series

Last week's articles were centered on women's relationship towards the environment. Whether located in Nigeria or Mozambique, women are directly affected by the environment, a relationship that has an impact on their livelihoods and ability to operate with resilience.

In his article entitled, “Supporting Rural Women’s Access to Agricultural Finance in Nigeria,” Kevin Ogbajie explores the challenges and solutions regarding women's access to financial opportunities in agriculture. As UN Women states, “rural women are key agents for achieving the transformational economic, environmental and social changes required for sustainable development. But limited access to credit, health care and education are among the many challenges they face, which are further aggravated by the global food and economic crises and climate change. Empowering them is key not only to the well-being of individuals, families and rural communities, but also to overall economic productivity, given women’s large presence in the agricultural workforce worldwide.” The article sheds light on the complexities and related challenges to empowering women in the realm of agriculture.

At the same time, Mozambican women face a harsh reality, since the country is often hit by droughts that can affect their water and food supply, as well as causing higher rates of school dropout and early marriages, which is highlighted in Filipe Mate’s article. Traveling long distances to fetch water creates safety concerns for women and girls as they travel at night and in the early mornings to water points, leaving them exposed to gender-based violence along the route. The article exposes the challenges women and girls face when droughts occur, which has become increasingly more common due to climate change in the region.