Strengthening Gender Equity in Locally Led Adaptation Processes in Africa

The paper argues that while women are central to agriculture and climate adaptation in Africa, they are often excluded from decision-making and resources due to sociocultural norms and policy gaps. It proposes seven enabling factors—ranging from flexible finance and resource control to confronting restrictive norms—to move beyond simple participation toward gender-transformative locally led adaptation (LLA). The authors recommend that funders provide patient, flexible funding of at least five years and invest in long-term relationships with women-led organizations to foster structural social change and climate resilience.

• Women in Africa's agricultural sector face systemic barriers to adaptation resources and decision-making, driven by a lack of gender consideration in public policies, program design, and technology selection, as well as restrictive sociocultural norms and the gendered division of labor.
• The authors distinguish between simple participation and gender-transformative activities; the latter aim for long-term gender equality by shifting harmful social norms and power dynamics, which leads to better-informed adaptation planning and resilience.
• Seven enabling factors are identified to embed gender equity within locally led adaptation: integrating gender into funding and national policies; flexible project finance and design; confronting constraining institutions and norms; promoting women's agency and leadership; reducing labor burdens for women and girls; ensuring equal access to and control over resources (such as land and finance); and ensuring gender-equal benefits from technology.
• To support gender-equitable LLA, funders should provide flexible, patient funding with timelines of at least five years to allow for iterative learning and the slow process of social change.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Strengthening Gender Equity in Locally Led Adaptation Processes in Africa. https://www.wri.org/research/strengthening-gender-equity-locally-led-adaptation-processes-africa

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Strengthening Gender Equity in Locally Led Adaptation Processes in Africa. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/strengthening-gender-equity-locally-led-adaptation-processes-africa.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Strengthening Gender Equity in Locally Led Adaptation Processes in Africa |url=https://www.wri.org/research/strengthening-gender-equity-locally-led-adaptation-processes-africa |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendstrengthening, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Strengthening Gender Equity in Locally Led Adaptation Processes in Africa}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/strengthening-gender-equity-locally-led-adaptation-processes-africa}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }