Do we need a gender lens for climate risk management?

Prof Dillon from the Michigan State University explained that the effects of climate variability on agricultural output are larger for men, primarily because men cultivate more land than women. Men also cultivate in the primary rain-fed agricultural season and may have access to irrigation. Alternatively, women often cultivate in the dry season on smaller plots where they have access to some well water.

In his research in Mali he also found that both irrigation and farm capital including tools and machines can mitigate the effects of climate variability. For men, access to irrigation allows them to partially offset production losses due to climate variability, but low access to irrigation for women does not permit the same type of risk mitigating strategy.

Women also have unequal access to farm assets.  Without access to critical farm assets, women cannot as effectively mitigate the adverse impacts of climate variability

To increase resilience in the face of climate change, improving access for women and men to technologies, such as irrigation, and assets, such as farm tools, will be central to the formulation of climate change adaptation programs