Gender and Desertification in Mozambique

Mozambique is already experiencing desertification. Rising temperatures are shifting rainfalls patterns that have impacts on crops growth, increases risk diseases, desertification and water scarcity. Some actions for combating desertification and coping with droughts are taking place within the country, but those are in isolation and a holistic approach is missing. The situation of women in the country is characterized by difficulties related to factors such as economic strength, the rigidity of gender roles socially assigned to them, access to education, health, and other resources including credit, land ownership and low participation in decision-making bodies. This project aims to combat desertification in Chicualacuala district and promote sustainable food production techniques at 30% of the female headed households by 2015 and it will be implemented by the Ministry for Coordination of Environmental Action (MICOA) and the Ministry Of Agriculture (MINAG) at central level and the technicians of the Provincial Directorate for Coordination of Environmental Action in Gaza (DPCAG), technicians of the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture (DPAG), the Sustainable Development Center for Natural Resources (CDS-RN), the Chicualacuala District Government and the local women grassroots organization. The project will focus on the following activities: Advocacy and sensitization of the Chicualacuala local Government on gender, climate change and desertification; Update of the district profile with sex disaggregated data; Training workshops for technical staff and female headed households on gender, land restoration and sustainable food production techniques.