Problem

Women often face the worst and most acute impacts of climate change. This is being experienced first-hand by the women of the Bumaji clan in Cross River State, Nigeria. As the group mainly responsible for food gathering and preparation, they bear the brunt of forest mismanagement and land-use degradation.

The Bumaji local economy is largely based on agriculture, with most people working as farmers and forest gatherers. But in recent years logging for timber, fuelwood and agriculture have skyrocketed to unsustainable levels, resulting in disastrous economic, social and environmental consequences.

Responses

The Government of Cross River State has worked with the Boki communities to design a ‘bottom-up’ strategy to tackle this problem – one that incorporates diverse stakeholder perspectives and factors in the central role of women.

The Government has set up training sessions in agroforestry and community forest management, teaching the local communities how to increase their farms’ productivity and food security in environmentally regenerative ways, with specific attention given to the role of women.

By raising women’s awareness of climate change causes and effects, Bumaji women have been given the opportunity to lead and take climate action at the local level. In total, 385 women have directly benefited from this initiative by the year 2023.

Find out more: The Climate Group