Women and climate-vulnerable groups must drive the conversation at the Africa climate summit

The author contends that inclusive climate governance in Africa is both a moral and economic imperative, citing evidence that women-led adaptation projects yield higher economic returns and more sustainable results. The text highlights the disproportionate impact of climate-driven health crises on women and calls for the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) to implement accountability frameworks, dedicate adaptation finance to health, ensure meaningful female representation in policy, and channel funding directly to community-based organizations.

• Inclusive climate governance is presented as an economic necessity, with estimates suggesting that advancing gender equality could increase global GDP by $12 trillion in the decade leading up to 2025.
• Women face specific and heightened risks from climate-induced health crises, including increased vulnerability to heat stress for pregnant women and the collapse of essential services like maternal and reproductive care during disasters, as seen in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi during 2019 cyclones.
• Evidence from Africa indicates that gender-inclusive adaptation is more effective than conventional programs; specifically, the Adaptation Learning Programme for Africa (ALP) found a $4.20 economic return for every dollar invested in women-led adaptation, compared to $2.80 for conventional programs.
• In Tanzania, the Tuungane community conservation programme demonstrated that women-led resource management increased crop yields by 35% and decreased harmful farming practices by 40%.
• To ensure the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) achieves real impact, the author proposes three actions: earmarking a fixed share of adaptation finance for health, ensuring women have actual power to shape policies rather than just being present, and directing finance to community-based organizations instead of international intermediaries.

APA

World Economic Forum (2025). Women and climate-vulnerable groups must drive the conversation at the Africa climate summit. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/africa-climate-summit-women-and-girls/

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Women and climate-vulnerable groups must drive the conversation at the Africa climate summit. 2025. https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/africa-climate-summit-women-and-girls/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=World Economic Forum |title=Women and climate-vulnerable groups must drive the conversation at the Africa climate summit |date=5 September 2025 |url=https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/africa-climate-summit-women-and-girls/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{worldeconomicforum2025women, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Women and climate-vulnerable groups must drive the conversation at the Africa climate summit}}, publisher = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2025}, month = sep, url = {https://www.weforum.org/stories/climate-action/africa-climate-summit-women-and-girls/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }