Addressing the Digital Gender Gap in Empowering Women for Climate Resilience in Africa

Abstract

Africa confronts a double jeopardy: it endures significant climate change impacts and suffers from one of the world's widest digital gender gaps. This article argues that closing the digital gender gap is not merely an aspiration but a prerequisite for effective women-led climate resilience across Africa. By analysing case studies from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Mozambique, the paper reveals that limited digital access restricts women's involvement in climate decision-making, undermines agricultural adaptation, and limits access to early warning systems and financial resources. It further examines key legal frameworks, including CEDAW, the Maputo Protocol, and the Sustainable Development Goals, which mandate that states and stakeholders promote digital inclusion. Methodologically, this article adopts a doctrinal legal analysis of the international, regional, and domestic instruments bearing on the digital gender gap, combined with a qualitative synthesis of secondary case-study literature, policy reports, and empirical studies drawn from the 5 focus countries. The paper concludes with innovative recommendations for policymakers and the private sector, focusing on leveraging technology to enhance women’s digital literacy, creating inclusive digital platforms for climate adaptation, and fostering public-private partnerships to ensure sustainable funding. These strategies aim to integrate digital access into climate-resilience frameworks in a transformative manner, ultimately empowering women as key agents in addressing climate change.