The climate crisis is already changing girls’ lives and futures. Girls across Africa are facing growing challenges as the climate crisis increasingly impacts the continent, leading to a range of extreme weather patterns. In southern parts of Africa, girls are enduring devastating cyclones and floods. Meanwhile, the Sahel, Eastern, and Horn of Africa regions - home to the highest rates of child marriage - are grappling with severe droughts. Climate-induced migration is also on the rise in Western, Southern, and Central Africa.
Right now, longer-lasting droughts and the war in Ukraine have combined to create a hunger crisis the size and severity of which has not been seen before. More than 23 million people, including girls and their families, across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia are facing severe hunger, while 9 West and Central African countries are experiencing major food crises. By the end of 2022, at least 1.85 million children across sub-Saharan Africa were displaced within their home countries because of climate-induced disasters, nearly doubling numbers from the previous year.
An estimated 12.5 million girls in 30 climate vulnerable countries will experience schooling disruptions due to climate-related events - 22 of these countries are in Africa. Girls in lower-income countries – often former or current colonies – face the biggest challenges, while high-income countries, which are chiefly responsible for the climate crisis, experience fewer impacts.
Unlike many other parts of the world, the effects of the climate crisis are keenly felt at the household level in Africa. When rain falls, food security and family income are put at risk. When floods occur, homes and farms are swept away. These hardships directly affect children, and threaten their rights, including but not limited to their right to survival, development, protection, health, and education.
