Climate crisis is disrupting girls’ lives in the Sahel
26 February 2025The climate crisis is disrupting every aspect of young women’s lives in the Sahel.
Intensifying climate shocks are exacerbating food insecurity, forcing school dropouts, and increasing gender-based violence for adolescent girls across the West African region.
A new study, A Gathering Storm, conducted across 10 Sahelian countries alongside 25 young female researchers and with insights from nearly 1,000 adolescent girls and young women between 15 and 24 years of age, paints a stark picture of their lived experiences, underscoring urgent need for action.
The report utilises feminist participatory methods, presenting visual evidence of how climate change is reshaping the daily lives and futures of these adolescent girls. The research also highlights the resilience and determination they are demonstrating, finding durable solutions to adapt to a changing climate, despite immense challenges.
Multiple crises
Already plagued by conflict and displacement, the Sahel is among the most climate-impacted regions in the world. Rising temperatures, droughts, and erratic rainfall are destroying crops, deepening food shortages, and worsening poverty.
Weather patterns have become so severe that girls shared accounts of finding wells completely dry, filled only with sand, while others say that crop shortages have resulted in families being forced to eat feed for animals.
As resources grow scarce, many girls are forced to drop out of school to support their families. Early marriage is often seen as the only option for securing their future.
“If you have not eaten anything, you are forced to give your daughter in marriage”, an interviewee from Guinea says.
“Climate change has led girls and women to exchange their bodies for food,” adds a young woman from Nigeria.
Increased distances to water sources expose many adolescents to harassment and violence. Some also report health issues linked to polluted water, extreme heat, and poor nutrition. Managing menstrual hygiene has become more difficult due to water shortages, leading to further exclusion from education and social activities.
“If, as a girl, you cannot properly wash the cloth you use for your period, it creates other (health) problems”, an interviewee from Burkina Faso warns.
Despite such severe obstacles, girls and young women in the Sahel are spearheading efforts to adapt to climate change. Many are involved in reforestation, waste management, and awareness campaigns to combat environmental degradation. However, their vital contributions are often overlooked, and they lack the necessary resources and recognition to expand their impact.
“This new research, based on the experiences of more than 1,000 girls, has shown that girls and young women are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis in the Sahel. They are missing school, witnessing insecurity and gender-based violence, facing water scarcity leading to poor health and hygiene management,” says Alasan Senghore, Plan International’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa.
Listen to women and girls
“We urge governments, NGOs, and donors to listen to adolescent girls and young women and take concrete steps to support their leadership and resilience. Climate policies and programmes must include the voices and needs of girls and young women to ensure a more equitable and sustainable response.”
Plan International is calling on international donors to increase funding for climate-adaptation initiatives, especially those led by adolescent girls and young women.
Additionally, governments must include adolescent girls in decision-making processes, implement policies that protect them from gender-based violence and child marriage, and invest in climate-resilient infrastructure, making water sources accessible and adapting schools to climate hazards.
“Adolescent girls and young women are not only victims of climate change but are also key players in finding solutions. Their education, empowerment, and leadership are essential in combating climate change,” adds a co-researcher from Mali.
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