Rural women in Malawi need strategies to better cope with the adverse impacts of climate change.

Malawi News Agency reports on a workshop held by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare together with the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) to discuss gender and climate smart agriculture.

Dr. Mary Shawa, Principle Secretary in the Ministry, called for investment in building the skills and knowledge of farmers so that they can adapt to changes in climate. Practices such as agroforestry, conservation agriculture, crop diversification and measures to improve the health of soils will all help farmers adapt.

Edna Kalima from NEPAD discussed how the bulk of African agriculture is rain fed and vulnerable to extreme weather events that especially impacts women farmers.

"It has become crucial to examine the gender-agriculture-climate change dynamics in the African context so as to design appropriate interventions, not only to curb the looming adverse impacts of climate change on small holder farmers, but also to increase productivity and ultimately improve their livelihood," said Kalima.

The workshop was part of the Gender, Climate Change and Agriculture Support Program (GCCASP) and funded by the Norwegian Government.

Read the full story: Shawa Calls for Programs to Help Women in Agriculture