How does climate change exacerbate existing gender inequalities in access to resources, such as land, water, education, and financial services for agriculture and rural development, for women in developing countries?

1. Key finding

Overall
Women’s exclusion from resources such as accessing and managing water and land in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) makes them more vulnerable to climate change impacts and limits their contributions to sustainable development. Empowering women and involving them in natural resource management is crucial for achieving a more equitable and resilient future in the region

Women and girls related
Failing to overcome the challenges faced by women and girls not only undermines social justice but also deters the achievement of sustainable development and effective climate change adaptation. Empowering women is vital for building safe, resilient, and thriving communities

2. Short summary

Women play a critical role in sustainable development, particularly in agriculture, yet they often face significant barriers to accessing and managing essential resources like land and water. The authors explain that women make up over 60% of the farm workforce in West and Central Africa. Despite constituting a majority of the agricultural workforce in this region, women often lack secure land tenure, access to technology, and financial resources. Cultural norms and patriarchal structures further limit their control over land and natural resources. Empowering women to participate in natural resource management is essential for achieving sustainable development goals. When women are involved in decision-making and resource management, they can contribute to poverty reduction, food security, and environmental conservation. The review findings advocate for a shift from top-down, exclusionary approaches to more inclusive, bottom-up strategies that value the contributions of all stakeholders, including women.

3. Long summary

3.1 PICOS 

Population: 

Rural women in SSA 

Intervention:

To examine the literature on gender roles (This is the phenomenon of interest. There is not a singular, particular intervention that is discussed by the author)

Outcome:

Implications for water, land, food (WLF) security, and climate change in SSA 

Study design: 

Indexed journals and other peer-reviewed publications, UNDP, and IPCC reports, published between 1998-2020

3.2 Risk of bias: Not assessed

3.3 Publication bias: Not assessed

3.4 Findings

In the context of WLF security in SSA, with a particular focus on gender dynamics, the review emphasises the critical role of women in natural resource management and the detrimental consequences of their exclusion from decision-making processes. Despite their significant contributions, they often face barriers to accessing essential resources like land, technology, and credit.

Climate change exacerbates existing gender inequalities, disproportionately affecting women in rural areas of developing countries. Given their substantial dependence on natural resources for their livelihoods, women in rural areas are particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of climate change, such as extreme weather events, water scarcity, and declining agricultural yields. These impacts further reinforce existing disparities, marginalizing women by limiting their access to resources and decision-making processes. Women often bear the brunt of climate change through increased burdens in securing water and fuelwood, while also being excluded from the design and implementation of climate change solutions. Land insecurity, a significant barrier for women, is further exacerbated by climate change, hindering their ability to improve their socioeconomic status. Furthermore, disabled women face even greater risks due to their physical limitations and dependence on natural resources. 

Water, land, and food security efforts often overlook women’s needs, excluding them from decision-making and limiting their access to resources. Rural women face heightened climate vulnerability due to their dependence on natural resources and restricted land rights, reinforced by cultural norms and top-down management. Empowering women through inclusive policies and participation in resource management is key to improving food security, reducing poverty, and building community resilience.

3.5 Sensitivity analysis: Not assessed

4. AMSTAR 2 assessment of the review

5. Count of references to the following words

1. Key finding

Overall
While increasing land tenure security (LTS) has been shown to positively impact agricultural investments, environmental practices, and female empowerment, there is limited evidence linking LTS to increased productivity, credit access, or income.

Women and girls related
While LTS can empower women and promote sustainable farming, its impact on key economic outcomes remains uncertain. Contextual factors and comprehensive interventions are crucial for realizing the full potential of LTS.

2. Short summary

This systematic review responds to the question by exploring the impact of increased LTS on various agricultural and social outcomes, with a particular focus on women's empowerment. While the review does not directly address climate change, it explores how secure access to land, a critical resource affected by climate change, can influence economic and social outcomes, especially for women. The findings indicate that LTS can stimulate investments in productive and environmentally friendly agricultural practices. Furthermore, strengthening women’s land rights and access to resources is important to empower women. However, the review found limited evidence to support increased agricultural productivity, income, or access to credit as a result of LTS. While most studies focused on land formalization activities, the authors suggest that more substantial interventions and longer timeframes may be necessary to fully realize the potential benefits of LTS. Contextual factors, such as the availability of local lending institutions that accept formalized land titles as collateral, also play a crucial role. The review emphasizes the need for further research to delve deeper into the long-term effects of LTS and the influence of perceived tenure security.

3. Long summary

3.1 PICOS 

Population: 

Rural poor, based in LMICs

Intervention:

The focus is on expected connections between:

1. Activities/outputs and outcomes
2. Activities/outputs and impacts
3. Outcomes and impacts

The underlying assumptions at each stage are also considered. In addition to studies assessing the impact of the listed activities, the following is of interest too:

1. Other activities aimed at increasing land access
2. Studies assessing the effect of formalized land rights in non-intervention settings

For quantitative studies, the focus is on LTS activities and/or on any of the causal linkages between outputs and outcomes, outputs and impacts, or outcomes and impacts, plus the validity of any of the assumptions outlined in the theory of change (Fig. 1, p.36). For qualitative studies, the focus is on any of the linkages and/or assumptions at any stage in the theory of change.

Outcome:

Female empowerment due to access to resources (ex: access to land and financial resources)

Study design: 

Studies published in English between 1990- June 2016. Academic papers from journals and PhD thesis. The study must contain sufficient details for the methodology to be assessed and results to be properly interpreted. The main elements that were required to have been reported were: the sampling strategy, the identification strategy and details of the outcome measurement instruments. 

3.2 Risk of bias 

For quantitative studies, the methodology must involve the consideration of data from a status quo or alternative treatment comparison group; and for quantitative studies, the methodology must not suffer from a high risk of bias rating (p.36)

To assess the quality of the quantitative studies, the authors used a risk of bias assessment based on the checklist and ranking tool presented in Tables 2 and 3 (p.38). This checklist, adapted from Hombrados and Waddington (2012), identifies potential sources of bias that could affect a study’s internal validity. Studies with a high risk of bias were excluded.

While the checklist includes eight criteria, a general trend emerged:

• Studies using simple econometric regression analysis were often deemed to have a high risk of bias.
• Studies employing more advanced statistical techniques or collecting data from closely matched samples were typically rated as medium or low bias (see Figure 2, p 39).

3.3 Publication bias: Not assessed

3.4 Findings 

The review, based on IFAD’s land tenure security (LTS) activities from 2010 to 2015 and 59 studies across Asia-Pacific, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America, finds strong evidence that increased LTS can lead to more productive and environmentally sustainable agricultural investments and support female empowerment. However, only four studies directly examined LTS and women's empowerment—three in India and one in Peru—showing positive outcomes like increased land inheritance, delayed marriage, better education, and greater household decision-making power for women. Despite these findings, the limited geographical scope weakens the generalizability of the results. Furthermore, while increased LTS is linked to higher agricultural investment, there’s no consistent evidence that it leads to improved productivity, income, or access to credit for women. This may be due to short study durations or insufficient support mechanisms, such as land purchase vouchers. The review also challenges the assumption that formal land ownership guarantees perceived tenure security, citing mistrust in government institutions in countries like Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Moreover, land formalization efforts often exclude vulnerable groups like poor households and women due to corruption, elite capture, and clientelism. For LTS to enhance access to credit, lending institutions must adopt collateral-based lending policies and serve rural beneficiaries. The review stresses the importance of context in shaping outcomes and calls for more long-term, rigorous quantitative research to assess impact, along with qualitative studies to unpack the local factors influencing success. It also identifies research gaps in areas like conflict, land markets, food security, nutrition, and broader environmental effects.

3.5  Sensitivity analysis: Not assessed

4. AMSTAR 2 assessment of the review

5. Count of references to the following words