Supporting women farmers affected by climate change

Worldwide, women are among the hardest hit by climate change. For example, they are the first to go without food in times of drought or famine, and walk miles every day to fetch water and provide for their families.

Yet women are key players in their communities in the face of the climate crisis. Nevertheless, they often face numerous obstacles that prevent them from fully deploying this potential: lack of access to information and decision-making spaces, lack of skills and resources to continue to implement innovative solutions and make their voices heard without facing situations of violence. 

As part of the She Grows the Future program, CARE supports, through its agroecology schools, more than 2,000 small women farmers in the Mekong and Andes regions to adapt their farming techniques to climate impacts in order to increase their sources of income.

 

In addition to learning sustainable farming techniques, defending women's rights and promoting gender equality within communities is at the heart of the program. Discussion forums for questioning gender-related social norms are created, and individuals and households sensitized to gender-based violence. 

 

Finally, the program aims to strengthen the power of influence of rural women so that they can participate in decision-making on climate change adaptation within their communities.