Experts at the just-concluded webinar by The Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative, also known as Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN), have called for stronger gender inclusion in Nigeria’s climate action and peacebuilding efforts. This came during a webinar themed “Climate, Conflict, and Gender: Advancing Climate Justice Through Gender-Responsive Peacebuilding.”
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Hosted by PWAN’s Senior Programme Manager, Aisha Isa, the session brought together gender and climate experts to discuss policy reforms, community experiences, and practical strategies for achieving equitable climate justice.
Speaking during the panel, Gender and GBV Expert with the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project, Helen John, said addressing climate change requires intentional gender integration. In her presentation, she highlighted how gender-responsive programming under the ACReSAL project has enhanced community resilience to climate change and reduced conflict risks. She noted the importance of intentional gender integration, inclusive peacebuilding committees, and gender-responsive budgeting.
“We found that women are the most vulnerable to climate shocks due to systemic exclusion and discriminatory practices in access to land, trade, and information,” she explained.
“Our approach has been to ensure that peacebuilding and environmental committees are gender-inclusive women, youth, pastoralists, and persons with disabilities all having a voice at the table.”
She added that the project has gone beyond Nigeria’s 35 percent affirmative action benchmark, ensuring at least 40 percent women’s representation in all community structures. “Women are not just participants; they are decision-makers,” she emphasised.
The Deputy Director at the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Dr. Terfa Abraham, called for urgent legislative and fiscal reforms to make Nigeria’s climate governance more effective.
“Nigeria’s Climate Change Act of 2021 is a step forward, but it is riddled with gaps that weaken coordination,” he said. “The law should be amended to empower the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) to function independently, and the national budget should require all ministries and agencies to include gender- and climate-responsive programmes.”
He added that advocacy from civil society groups like PWAN is essential to ensure that the President’s budget call circular includes climate and gender considerations.
“Our budget must reflect the reality that climate change is not gender neutral,” he noted. “Women make up the majority of the agricultural workforce, and they are the first to suffer when climate disasters strike.”
Drawing from her humanitarian work experience in the North-East, Hauwa Danjuma, Protection and Humanitarian Programmes Director, recounted how recent floods and resource-based conflicts have devastated communities and exposed women and girls to multiple risks.
“During the recent floods in Maiduguri, women faced the harshest impacts,” she said. “We saw increased cases of gender-based violence, child marriage, and displacement because women were excluded from decision-making processes and early warning systems.” She urged stronger localisation of humanitarian response.
“Localisation is not a nice extra, it’s essential for sustainability,” she stressed. “Empowering community-based women’s organisations ensures interventions are context-driven, inclusive, and lasting.”
Closing the discussion, Aisha Isa reiterated PWAN’s commitment to amplifying women’s voices in climate governance and peacebuilding.
“This conversation is a call to action,” she said. “We must be deliberate about gender-responsive climate justice and ensure no one is left behind.”
In attendance was Kemi Okenyodo, Executive Director of The Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative.
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