When Martha Adejo first joined the Benue Women’s EVA supported Women’s Coalition for Climate Justice group, she was just another woman trying to survive the worsening floods that kept washing away her livelihood. A market trader in Makurdi, Martha had lost count of how many times she had rebuilt her business after floodwaters destroyed her goods. Each time, she found herself starting over with nothing. The frustration was suffocating. The women around her—farmers, traders, small business owners—felt the same. Climate change wasn’t just an abstract issue; it was a force actively erasing their efforts to build a stable life.

Climate change disproportionately affects women and girls, amplifying existing inequalities and creating new vulnerabilities. In rural and underserved areas of Nigeria, the burden of fetching water, managing food insecurity, and ensuring family health often falls on women. This reality underscores the critical need for gender-responsive approaches to climate action. For years, Martha and other women participated in climate discussions, attending meetings and raising awareness about environmental challenges. But no real change came. The policies shaping disaster response never considered their realities. Relief efforts barely reached them, and the cycle of loss continued. In June 2024, something shifted. For the first time, the women of Benue decided they weren’t just going to talk about climate justice—they were going to shape it.

With support from Education as a Vaccine (EVA), the Benue Women’s Coalition for Climate Justice group drafted a position paper on the rights of women and girls in flooding situations. The paper outlined how floods disproportionately affected women, from increased food insecurity to the heightened risks of gender-based violence in displaced settings. When they presented their demands to the Benue State Ministry of Environment, they weren’t just seeking change—they were leading it.

image credit: EECAI at one of the flooding sensitization meetings in Benue

The movement for gender-responsive climate justice didn’t stop in Benue. Across Nasarawa, Niger, and Benue states, EVA brought together women from different backgrounds—farmers, market traders, small business owners, and members of financial cooperatives—to form a coalition for climate action. The coalition in Benue, partnered with the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the Ministry of Women Affairs to strengthen flood preparedness in high-risk communities. Their goal was clear: ensure that women’s needs were at the center of disaster response planning. And they succeeded. As government agencies, formally recognized women’s perspectives in flood mitigation strategies, marking a significant policy shift. These women, many of whom lived with disabilities, had been facing the same climate-induced struggles in isolation. Now, for the first time, they had a structured platform to turn their experiences into solutions.

In Nasarawa, the Association of Women with Disabilities hosted a workshop around sack farming, a simple yet powerful urban farming technique that allowed women with mobility impairments to grow food in small spaces. For women like Amina, a wheelchair user and single mother, the introduction of sack farming reduced the challenges she faced as a person with disability.  “Being immobile made it hard for me to farm due to accessibility to fertile lands as a result of climate change. Now, I can grow what we eat with a bit of convenience.” she said, beaming with smiles as she watered her crops.

EVA’s work didn’t just equip women to influence policies—it inspired a new generation of female leaders. Jennifer Abomnger, a young climate advocate trained through EVA’s programs, during the world environment day 2024, was able to articulate her challenges and advocate within her rights, earning the recognition of the Minister for Environment who prior to the event had also seen her posts online. Today, she continues to speak up, promoting climate and gender justice for women and girls in Nigeria while supporting her peers and creating a ripple effect.

Inspired by the like’s of Jennifer and her participation as an advocate, another young woman, Doose Aandogo, took her advocacy a step further. With strengthened skills and firsthand exposure to grassroots activism, she dedicated her final undergraduate research project to the intersection of climate and gender justice. Her work has since contributed to evidence-based discussions shaping climate policies. “Before, I was just passionate about climate justice. Now, I know how to turn that passion into action,” she reflected.

The women engaged in EVA’s climate justice programs are no longer waiting for change—they are making it happen. They have built stronger networks, refined their advocacy skills, and developed clear strategies to influence policies at local and state levels. Their journey proves that grassroots climate action, when led by women and backed by structured advocacy, can drive systemic transformation and response.

Yet, challenges persist. Cultural norms continue to limit women’s participation in decision-making. Funding gaps threaten the sustainability of their initiatives. The road ahead is long, but EVA remains committed to walking it alongside these women. As we progress, we aim to:

 Expand advocacy training to equip more women with the skills to lead climate justice efforts.
✅ Scale up sustainable climate solutions, ensuring women have access to the resources needed to adapt and thrive.
✅ Strengthen policy engagement, ensuring that gender justice remains central to Nigeria’s climate agenda.

The stories of Martha, Jennifer, Doose, and the young researcher in Benue illustrate one undeniable truth—when women have access to knowledge, resources, and platforms, they drive transformative change. EVA’s work in Nigeria is proving that climate justice is incomplete without gender justice.

Now is the time for governments, funders, and climate stakeholders to invest in women-led climate action. Because when women rise, communities don’t just survive climate challenges—they thrive.