By Sharon Atieno Onyango | sharonphoebeatieno@gmail.com
Climate change is no longer a distant environmental issue. It is a daily reality shaping lives, livelihoods and health across Africa.
The continent is disproportionately affected by the effects of climate change despite contributing less than three percent to global emissions.
As we unveil the 45th issue of Sayansi, a second under the Action Research for Effective Coverage of Climate Change Issues in Africa (ARECCCA) project in partnership with International Development Research Centre (IDRC), eastern and southern Africa office, this edition explores how communities are experiencing climate change impacts and responding with resilience and innovation. The link to the edition is https://meshascience.org/?r3d=sayansi-magazine-march-2026-edition-45
Specifically, it showcases the role of women in a changing climate. When extreme weather disasters strike, women and children are 14 times more likely to die than men, mostly due to limited access to information, limited mobility, decision-making, and resources.
Further, an estimated four out of five people displaced by the impacts of climate change are women and girls.
Given their position on the frontlines of the climate crisis, the United Nations notes that women are uniquely situated to be agents of change to help find ways to mitigate the causes of global warming and adapt to its impacts on the ground.
This edition therefore shows that women are often the most impacted but are also leading solutions such as climate-smart farming, conservation and small businesses.
Women are shown taking initiative in responding to climate challenges, such as improving farming practices or managing natural resources to sustain their households and communities.
They are portrayed as custodians of indigenous knowledge, with some stories highlighting how women apply traditional practices such as crop selection and water conservation to cope with changing climate conditions.
Overall, this edition emphasizes that climate change is deeply interconnected with social and economic systems, and that empowering local communities—especially women—is critical to building sustainable and effective responses.
According to Aghan Daniel, CEO MESHA, the edition could not have come at a better time than now when the UN has declared 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer (IYWF). The call is led by the FAO and seeks to recognize the vital role women play in agrifood systems while tackling gender gaps in land access, finance, and technology.
