In rural Africa, poor and female-headed households face greater livelihood risks from climate hazards . Women often constitute a high proportion of the informal workforce and are also more likely to be unemployed than men . These factors leave women, and particularly female-headed households, at greater risk of poverty and food insecurity from climate hazards. Controlling for multiple factors, income of female- headed households in agricultural districts in South Africa is more vulnerable to precipitation variability than those headed by men . Across nine countries in east and west Africa women tend to control smaller plots of land that is often of poorer quality, have less access to inputs such as fertilizer, tools and improved seeds, have lower educational attainment and benefit less from extension services, government agencies and non- governmental organisations . Gender assessments prior to adaptation programmes can identify disparities in division of labour and income and socio-cultural norms, hindering women from holding leadership positions or determining livelihood and resource-use activities, thereby helping ensure equitable benefits from livelihood diversification and improving women's working conditions . Gender-responsive policy instruments can measure success using sex-disaggregated data to monitor impact and meaningful participation in decision making .
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report