Women and Climate Adaptation in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa: Constraints and Research Priorities

Sub-Saharan Africa faces increasing climate variability, with extreme weather events becoming more frequent and disruptive to livelihoods, particularly in agricultural communities where farmers must continuously adapt to these changing conditions, often with limited resources. Women face an even greater burden. Pre-existing gender inequalities heighten their vulnerability to climate shocks, limiting their ability to adopt adaptation strategies both on-farm, as part of their agricultural work, and off-farm, through income diversification activities beyond agriculture. These challenges further exacerbate poverty and deepen social and economic disparities. The paper reviews existing empirical evidence on the main barriers women face in climate adaptation strategies, both on and off farm, namely climate smart agriculture, weather insurance, income diversification, migration, as well as adaptive social protection. The paper identifies credible and emerging interventions addressing these barriers as well as knowledge gaps shaping the research agenda for the future. Exploring evidence-based policy solutions on climate adaptation can help women reach their full economic potential, ultimately contributing to the overall sustainable development trajectory of their countries.