Gender and Climate Change Short Course Implemented in Malawi

Last week, from 2 - 6 October, the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) implemented a five-day training course on Gender and Climate Change in Nkhotakota district in partnership with GRÓ GEST. The training was the first of two short courses on Gender and Climate change that will be implemented in Malawi this year. The second course will take place in November in Mangochi district.

The short courses are a continuation of a fruitful collaboration between LUANAR and GRÓ GEST, who together developed a short course on gender and climate change in Malawi in 2021, and successfully implemented a pilot training in Mchinji district that same year.

The objective of last weeks‘ training was to contribute to gender sensitive climate policies at district level in Malawi through an increased awareness of the gender dimension of climate change. The course focuses on both mitigation measures and adaptation to climate change and is conducted at the district level. The training attracted 30 participants, each drawn from the gender and climate change sectors at district level in Malawi, including representatives from education; agriculture; health; fisheries; forestry, district council, Agriculture Extension Development Coordinators, lead farmers, civil society, relevant private actors and the media.

Malawi is prone to climate hazards and has in recent times experienced impacts such as floods, rainstorms and lenghtened dry spells which have affected people‘s livelihoods. The training was based on participatory approaches and will enhance the participants‘ knowledge on how to mainstream gender in the district and area development plans so that district interventions on adaptation and mitigation to climate change addresses the different challenges that women, men and the youth face from the effects of climate change.

Dr. Tasokwa Kakota Chibowa, Associate Professor at LUANAR, coordinated the training with a team of experts from LUANAR; Dr. Halord Chisale, Dr. Yananda Nana Madhlopa, who is a GEST alumna of 2014, and a team of experts from the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare, including GEST alumna of 2023, Ms. Lirani Hannah Kaluwa Katutu.