Farmers in sub-Saharan Africa are no strangers to adversity. They understand how weather patterns directly affect the quantity and quality of their harvests. Earlier this year, the El Niño weather phenomenon has triggered a severe drought in southern Africa which is expected to persist into 2025, and this event is not an isolated incident. The reality of an increasingly unpredictable climate is proving difficult to manage, particularly for those without adequate resources or support. What makes this situation even more alarming is the intersection of poverty, gender inequality, and climate insecurity. These systemic issues compound the effects of climate change, creating a glaring gap in resources and support for vulnerable communities across the region, particularly women.
In countries like Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, where agriculture plays a significant role in the economy, women are disproportionately affected by climate change. In these nations, women are heavily involved in smallholder farming, often producing between 60% and 80% of the food consumed in their communities. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), women are responsible for half of the world’s food production, yet their role as food producers and providers is often undervalued and overlooked.
It is important to recognise that women in these regions are often disadvantaged compared to their male counterparts. In 2016, the International Labour Organization found that on average, women carry out at least 60% more unpaid household and care work than men in countries where the relevant data was accessible. During times of crisis, the weight of this responsibility is increased with vulnerable people arguably requiring more care in an already difficult time. The total value of this unpaid care and domestic work is estimated to be the equivalent of 10-39% of Gross Domestic Product. It may then be unsurprising that women make up the majority of those living in poverty across the world, even if they do participate in the paid economy. This bleak backdrop leaves women financially vulnerable and inherently ill-positioned for dealing with the impacts of climate change. Moreover, research has shown that the loss of livelihoods can also lead to an increased risk of gender-based violence and forced child marriage as communities struggle.
Even where work is monetised and considered essential to small-scale agriculture, family subsistence and farm labour, barriers are once again thrown up regarding accessing land, credit and product-elevating resources. This limits the power of women to expand their businesses and increase productivity.
Ultimately, these disparities leave women even more vulnerable during times of climate distress, exacerbating existing inequalities.
For farming to thrive, access to financial resources is essential. Yet, many smallholder farmers, especially women, lack access to credit and other financial tools. It is estimated that 753 million women in the most climate-vulnerable regions lack the basic financial services essential to addressing these issues.
This is where organisations like MicroLoan Foundation come in. We aim to tackle this issue by providing women living in rural and peri-urban areas with the financial support and resources they need to face the challenges of modern farming.
It is important to emphasise here that the women we work with are not looking for handouts—they need a hand-up to navigate the evolving challenges of today’s world. Our social microfinance model is specifically designed to support women farmers by providing them with financial literacy and business training, which helps them run their farms more efficiently. Additionally, we offer a range of tailored loan products giving women access to the capital necessary to transform their farms into sustainable, profitable businesses.
Since 2002, 453,000 women have participated in MicroLoan Foundation’s livelihoods programme. With 90% of our clients engaging in smallholder farming for consumption or income generation, we are invested in enabling resilience across Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. We also provide training on environmentally friendly farming techniques, enabling women to maximise both their yields and profits whilst improving soil quality and preventing soil erosion. Last year, 88% of our clients successfully saved money, a testament to the effectiveness of our programme to create resilience.
https://www.fao.org/family-farming/detail/en/c/1634537/
https://www.ilo.org/publications/major-publications/women-work-trends-2016
https://esaro.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/unfpa_and_the_climate_crisis_2020.pdf
https://fooddigital.com/features/women-produce-up-to-80-of-food-in-developing-countries
Published on: 28/11/2024