How empowering women can help Southern Africa combat climate change

Across Southern Africa, the drought is wreaking havoc on communities, especially in rural areas where women and girls bear the brunt of the suffering. With water sources drying up, people are forced to share what little they have with animals, increasing the risk of disease. Fields lie barren under the relentless sun, leading to widespread hunger. Children are too weak to rise in the morning, and many families survive on a single meal a day.

This drought is not just robbing people of food and water—it is stripping away their humanity, health, and hope.

Women and girls are particularly at-risk. As they travel longer distances to find water, they face increased risks of gender-based violence (GBV). At the same time, to get food, the susceptibility to resort to activities such as prostitution or transactional sex is high, a grim reality that has been documented in past crises.

In Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, the prolonged dry spell has led to complete harvest failures. In Malawi, a critical maize shortage has driven prices skyward, leaving 4.4 million people in crisis. In Zambia, 9 million people across 84 districts are already grappling with the harsh consequences of this disaster. In Zimbabwe, at least 2.7 million people face food insecurity, though the true number is likely higher. Mozambique’s southern and central regions are also suffering, with below-average rainfall delaying the rainy season and exacerbating drought conditions.

Over 565,000 people in Inhambane and Gaza provinces are at risk of severe food insecurity. Even in Madagascar, where rains from Cyclones Alvaro and Gamane provided brief relief, the outlook is bleak, with over 262,000 children under five facing acute malnutrition.

Supporting women-led organizations and Humanitarian Partnership Platforms is essential to address community-level needs and mitigate the risks of gender-based violence exacerbated by the hunger crisis. We need to focus on helping communities become more resilient, especially by empowering women and girls. This includes programs like Climate-Smart Agriculture, which have shown great results in helping people adapt to change and creating a more equal future. The situation in Southern Africa demands urgent action from governments, humanitarian organizations, and international partners. By addressing funding gaps, prioritizing direct and flexible funding, enhancing access to funds, and streamlining funding mechanisms, we can provide life-saving assistance, restore essential services, and lay the groundwork for resilience and recovery.

Empowering women and girls is not just a moral imperative; it is a practical strategy for building resilience.

The situation in Southern Africa demands urgent action from governments, humanitarian organizations, and international partners. Funding gaps must be addressed, and donors must prioritize direct and flexible funding that can reach those most in need. By enhancing access to funds for local actors and international NGOs with strong community ties, we can ensure that life-saving assistance is delivered where it is most needed.

Immediate funding is critical to prevent the crisis from deepening. Timely and strategic allocation of resources is essential to cover all sectors and regions in the Southern Africa Humanitarian Response Plan. Donors must commit to providing additional funding that is predictable, multi-year, and flexible. This will enable humanitarian actors to not only address the most pressing needs but also to restore essential services and lay the foundation for long-term resilience and recovery.

Successful initiatives like the USAID Takunda project in Zimbabwe and the Community-Based Adaptation: Scaling up Community Action for Livelihoods and Ecosystems in Southern Africa and Beyond (CBA-SCALE Southern Africa+) project in Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe offer blueprints for how resilience strategies can effectively tackle the impacts of El Niño. These programs focus on improving agricultural practices, natural resource management, and community-led adaptation strategies, playing a crucial role in mitigating climate-related challenges and fostering sustainable development.

The world cannot stand by as millions in Southern Africa face the bleak reality of hunger and despair. Let’s come together, address the crisis, and prevent further devastation. Let’s give hope a chance to bloom again in Southern Africa.