Name
Social Protection Policies and Gendered Climate Vulnerabilities in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Critical Review!
Date & Time
Wednesday, May 21, 2025, 3:45 PM - 4:00 PM
Description

Climate change disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, with women in Sub- Saharan Africa (SSA) bearing a double burden due to socio-cultural and gendered norms. Social protection policies (a set of public interventions put in place to reduce the challenges of marginalized people) have emerged as a compelling policy tool to help individuals and households navigate the risks and reduce vulnerabilities. While social protection policies are well-intentioned and important developmental tools, the outcomes in practice have been flagged for being gender blind (e.g., failing to integrate gendered climate vulnerabilities) and wrapped in multi-scalar politics, resulting in minimal benefits and sometimes replicating the very inequalities these programs are designed to solve (Cookson, 2016; Jones & Holmes, 2011). Focusing on the Sub-Saharan region, this paper systematically reviews literature on how social protection policies in SSA account for gendered climate vulnerabilities, identifies gaps and proposes strategies for strengthening policies to improve women’s resilience.

Location Name
Nicol (NI) 3020
Session Type
Oral Presentation
Speaker Name
Lina Adeetuk
Speaker Organization
Western University
Session Name
CS108-B Feminist Geographies in Transdisciplinary Dialogue