Three women reveal how access to productive resources equals adaptation to climate change

The United Nation's theme for this year's observance of International Women’s Day is “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow” in recognition and celebration of the women and girls who are leading the charge on climate change adaptation and response and to honour their leadership and contribution towards a sustainable future. What better moment to learn about three women who are on the frontline of climate change but are building resilience and leading adaptation in their communities.

They reveal the vital link between gender, social equity and climate change.

Mwenaisha Makame, Female seaweed farmer, Zanzibar

Seaweed is a precious product for the   25 000 Zanzibari farmers that depend on it, 80 percent of whom are women. But climate change is causing a rise in temperatures, taking a toll on our oceans. Warmer waters represent a real threat to seaweed production, inhibiting its growth and making it susceptible to bacteria. The seaweed these female farmers collect mostly for export is no longer flourishing.

The only option is to venture into the cooler, much deeper waters, but here the seaweed can be damaged by stronger currents and most of the farmers cannot swim. This is not the only obstacle: a drop in the global price of seaweed has left these farmers working six-hour days to earn just 1 000 Tanzanian shillings – or USD 0.44   – for the two kilograms they usually manage to collect.

In the face of these difficulties, FAO saw an opportunity to introduce a new livelihood and train women, already skilled in working in the ocean, to farm sea cucumbers. These filter creatures are in hot demand on the Asian market because of the increasing pollution in East Asia’s shallow waters.

“I learnt many important things through this training, and I’d really like to do this mix of sea cucumber and seaweed farming to increase my income. I hope that my daughter and son will one day be interested in getting involved too.” Explained Mwenaisha Makame noting the importance of sea cucumber farming for the future.

https://www.fao.org/fao-stories/article/en/c/1247576/

Elizabeth Kilewo, Farmer and student, Shimbwe Juu Tanzania

On the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, in the Chagga community’s village Shimbwe Juu, much of the area is divided into ‘Kihamba’, plots of land with a traditional home and garden. Here, the Kihamba help form a multi-layered agroforestry system that boasts over 500 types of plants and is rich in biodiversity. Coffee, yams, bananas, ginger, taro and cassava thrive amongst fruit trees that are irrigated even in the dry season by a network of water channels flowing 17 kilometres down the mountainside. This site is recognised by FAO as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS), a place that exemplifies how generations of traditional knowledge preserve, protect and sustainably manage the area’s natural resources.

According to Chagga tradition, Kihamba are passed on from generation to generation and are considered the centre of family life. Elizabeth Kilewo, the oldest daughter in a female head of household described how the Kihamba keeps food on the table for her family of 14, Despite the struggles and the need for more land to feed her large family, the family have until now supported themselves thanks to their livestock and the rich variety of fruits and vegetable growing on the Kihamba. Elizabeth is away during term time at secondary school where she dreams of one day becoming a Lawyer. Holidays mean coming home to help farm the land.

https://www.fao.org/fao-stories/article/en/c/1247568/

Ramata Faye, a 68-year-old grandmother and farmer from the municipality of Cherif Lô, Thiès, Senegal

The Strengthening Agricultural Adaptation (SAGA) project builds capacities to adapt to climate change, ensuring that communities, in particular women, across Senegal have regular access to water, while increasing the efficiency of its use.

On the Thiès plateau in western Senegal installed rainwater harvesting systems use a corrugated roof angled in a way that catches rainwater and drains it into a collection tank.

Nine rainwater harvesting systems were built throughout the region and more than 220 people were trained to maintain them. In Cherif Lô alone, this is benefitting more than 450 households.

“Now we can use rainwater in the dry season,” explains Ramata Faye, a 68-year-old grandmother and farmer from the municipality of Cherif Lô in Thiès. With no wells close to her garden, it had become increasingly challenging for her to keep the fruit trees and vegetables watered throughout the dry season that now lasts more than 9 months. Ramata, and others in her women’s group, can continue to grow throughout the seasons and sell their produce at the local market, providing them a steadier income.

In addition, with the income from their gardens, Ramata’s women’s group has also set up a micro-credit system, a way of saving money so they can help one another. Group members invest in new plants and tools for the garden or can request a small loan for family needs.

“Inhabitants of neighbouring villages now want to set up a garden like ours. It's important the whole community is involved in this type of initiative,” she explained.

https://www.fao.org/fao-stories/article/en/c/1381253/
 

These cases are simple examples that when women have the same access as men to productive resources and services, they are able to significantly increase the yields on their farms.

As stated in Chapter 9 of the newly released IPCC report ‘Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability’,

“Gender-sensitive and equity-based adaptation approaches reduce vulnerability for marginalised groups across multiple sectors in Africa, including water, health, food systems and livelihoods.”

Without gender equality today, a sustainable future will be far harder to secure.