Africa, Women and Water: a Gender Disparity

Catherine Nakalembe is an assistant professor in the geographical sciences department at the University of Maryland and head of the Africa section of Nasa’s food and agricultural programme. She was awared the 2020 Africa Food Prize for her work using satellite imagery to help farmers and governments to increase food security. Nakalembe uses satellite data examining agriculture and weather patterns combined with information about the crops gathered on the ground to build a model that can recognise patterns and aid in making predictions. Her model can help to inform decisions regarding irrigation and fertiliser use and can forecast using satellite estimates of rain and temperature which are communicated to the farmers either by local-language texts, radio messages or passed on through agricultural extension workers. Governments can also use her model to help prevent famines in communities by planning for disaster response in case of crop failure or flash flooding. Her early research pr

The papers I have looked at for this post are written or co-written by Patricia Kameri-Mbote, a female Professor of Law at the University of Nairobi. There is a large quantity of literature about Africa authored by white European researchers which can often be subjected to unconscious biases and prejudice. Thus, my aim here as a privileged white person, is to amplify the voices of African expertise. Patricia Kameri-Mbote, source: https://alumni.uonbi.ac.ke/2019/07/22/watch-the-full-public-presentation-of-doctor-of-laws-lld-thesis-by-prof-patricia-kameri-mbote/  There are many legal issues concerning a women’s right to land and resources in Southern and Eastern Africa. State, customary and religious law all play a role in dictating these rights. Kameri-Mbote argues that all forms of law must be engaged if they are to successfully challenge the gender imbalances when it comes to access and ownership of property. Women contribute over 80% of the farming workforce, Africa’s most dominant

Africa is more vulnerable than any other region to changing weather patterns ( BBC, 2019 ). West Africa is disproportionately affected by climate change due to the region’s susceptibility to drought and desertification as well as its dependence on subsistent agriculture. This affects the population’s access to food and safe water. Many women have already had to alter their food preparation as a result, meaning meals have become less nutritious ( Denton, 2002 ). In North Benin, both men and women have adapted to climate change by diversifying crops, changing their farming practices as well as changing their land use. However, more men that women have been able to employ these strategies as men have more control over land and equipment, leaving female farmers more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change ( Yegbemey et al, 2013 ).  Extreme events will become more frequent. Following flash floods in Lagos, women in low-income neighbourhoods were disproportionately impacted and not able