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SUPPORTING MALI'S WOMEN TO ADAPT TO CLIMATE CHANGE

September 8^th, 2016

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SUPPORTING MALI'S WOMEN TO ADAPT TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Gardening is a common side job for women in Mali, along with making products from the shea tree or jujube fruits. Traditionally men are the main income earners, supporting their families with cash crops such as cotton, millet or rice.

However, climate change has led to more drought and shorter rainy seasons in Mali. As a result cash crops are suffering, putting pressure on women to support their families with alternative incomes. They are required not only to work but also to secure enough water and food for the family.

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“The problem of water is critical, which is why gardening, which was always our favourite activity, is almost impossible to achieve,” says Fatoumata Diarra, a member of the women’s cooperative in the village of Massantola, located in western Mali, just north of the capital, Bamako.

Fatoumata Diarra demonstrates how the platform works.

The Mali National Directorate of Agriculture has partnered with UNDP to strengthen agricultural communities and empower women to mitigate the social and economic consequences of climate change. In Massantola, the project has supported Diarra’s cooperative to clear a plot for gardening and provide access to water.

“With the help of the project, we installed a fence and a well that runs on solar energy,” explains Diarra. “We can sell some of the vegetables we harvest to supply the cooperative’s fund and use another part for feeding the family, which helps fight malnutrition.”

A solar-powered platform was provided to the women’s collective, to help process grain into flour, a very time-intensive process necessary for cooking.

In addition UNDP supports women’s collectives in Mali, training them on sustainable agriculture and land management practices, as well as supplying seeds and tools, and establishing funds to help build alternative sources of income to local communities.