What role do political and institutional factors, such as lack of representation and inadequate social safety nets, play in amplifying the vulnerability of marginalized populations to climate change?

1. Key finding

Overall

Climate change significantly impacts the livelihoods and well-being of both men and women in Africa, but the effects are not evenly distributed. Women face greater challenges due to institutional and political barriers that limit their participation in farming, decision-making, and climate adaptation strategies. Patriarchal structures continue to restrict women’s roles, leaving them more vulnerable to climate-induced risks.

Women and girls related 

Climate change disproportionately affects women by exacerbating their existing social, economic, and political vulnerabilities. Institutional restrictions limit their capacity to own land, access financial resources, and participate in policy and decision-making, reducing their ability to adapt effectively to climate-related challenges.

2. Short summary 

This review examines how climate change affects men and women differently in Africa, highlighting the barriers women face due to institutional and political constraints. Women’s ability to adopt climate-resilient agricultural practices is hindered by limited access to resources such as land, financial credit, and training. Existing social norms restrict women’s participation in economic and policy decisions, further deepening their vulnerability to climate shocks.

The study emphasizes that gender disparities in access to decision-making power, knowledge, skills, assets, and networks create unequal exposure and sensitivity to climate risks. Even when legal frameworks exist to support women’s rights, gaps in implementation prevent meaningful change. Furthermore, the lack of gender-sensitive policies in climate governance reduces women’s ability to influence climate adaptation strategies. Addressing these systemic barriers through inclusive policies and gender-responsive climate interventions is essential to improving climate resilience among African women.

3. Long summary

3.1 PICOS

• Population: Studies focusing on gender or women AND climate change or drought AND impact AND Africa.
• Intervention: Analysis of climate change’s impact on women’s livelihoods, health, and access to resources.
• Outcome: Identification of gender-based vulnerabilities and recommendations for gender-responsive policies.
• Study design: Modeling studies, narrative and systematic reviews, case studies, case series, and qualitative research (1992-2022).

3.2 Risk of bias Not assessed

3.3 Publication bias Not assessed

3.4 Findings

Adapting to climate change is especially challenging for women due to systemic barriers that limit their access to training, extension services, technology, and climate information. Traditional gender roles and caregiving responsibilities restrict their ability to engage in agricultural diversification or off-farm work, while men often control valuable crops and market access, reinforcing economic inequality. Food insecurity disproportionately affects women, especially in female-headed households, as reduced yields from climate change combine with limited decision-making power over land and food distribution. Despite formal legal protections, contradictions between customary and statutory land tenure systems frequently deny women secure land rights, undermining long-term adaptation efforts. Political participation is also constrained by patriarchal norms, leaving women underrepresented in environmental governance, with national gender policies often lacking enforcement and relevant data. These social, institutional, and structural barriers collectively reduce women’s resilience to climate change and limit their involvement in shaping effective adaptation strategies.

4. AMSTAR 2 assessment of the review

5. Count of references to the following words

1. Key finding

Overall

This review provides an overview of how vulnerability assessments of smallholder agricultural systems in Africa have been conducted and interpreted. The study found that smallholder and subsistence farmers are highly vulnerable to climate change due to their dependence on natural resources, widespread poverty, and various socio-economic constraints such as limited land tenure security, low production capacity, and volatile market prices. Vulnerability assessments predominantly focus on social factors rather than integrating biophysical determinants, leading to gaps in addressing the full spectrum of climate risks.

Women and girls related Not mentioned

2. Short summary 

Smallholder farmers in Africa are highly vulnerable to climate change due to their reliance on natural resources and exposure to multiple socio-economic challenges, including limited financial capacity, weak institutional support, and insecure land tenure arrangements. This review systematically examines how vulnerability assessments of smallholder agricultural systems are conducted across Africa.

Findings indicate that 61% of vulnerability assessments focused solely on socio-economic factors such as human capital and resource access, while only 39% integrated both biophysical and social determinants. A significant number of studies lacked specificity in identifying stressors and risks, focusing primarily on climatic hazards while neglecting other structural challenges that shape vulnerability.

Furthermore, vulnerability assessments were often geographically concentrated around research institutions, markets, and productivity centers rather than targeting regions with the highest exposure to climate-related threats. Addressing these gaps through integrated, multi-dimensional assessments is crucial for designing effective adaptation strategies for smallholder farmers in Africa.

3. Long summary

3.1 PICOS

• Population: Smallholder agricultural systems in Africa.
• Intervention: Review of vulnerability assessments to climate change.
• Outcome: Identification of knowledge gaps, methodological trends, and policy implications.
• Study design: Systematic review of studies published from 1992-2018.

3.2 Risk of bias Not assessed

3.3 Publication bias Not assessed

3.4 Findings

Vulnerability assessments in Africa tend to emphasize socio-economic indicators like household income, labor availability, and resource access, while often neglecting critical biophysical factors such as climate trends, soil degradation, and water systems. Although the majority of studies (58%) focused on socio-economic and environmental determinants, with fewer addressing methodological approaches (25%) or decision-support tools (17%), many failed to clearly define the specific vulnerabilities being assessed, creating gaps in adaptation planning. Research efforts were often geographically skewed toward regions near research institutions and market hubs, rather than areas most affected by climate change. Additionally, many assessments overlooked the interplay of multiple stressors—such as economic instability, political conflict, and insecure land tenure—limiting their usefulness for comprehensive, policy-relevant climate adaptation strategies.

4. AMSTAR 2 assessment of the review

5. Count of references to  the following words