Without women's empowerment, there is no climate resilience: The challenge of drought plans

The climate crisis is intensifying droughts in Latin America and the Caribbean, affecting food security, livelihoods, and ecosystems. However, these impacts do not affect everyone equally. Women, especially those who are rural, Indigenous, or of African descent, face greater barriers in adapting and responding to these challenges, increasing their vulnerability and that of their communities.  

FAO's new 2025 report, " Mainstreaming gender in national drought plans, national action plans and national policies," emphasizes that equity between women and men is not only a matter of human rights, but a key factor in the efficacy of drought management policies.  

Moreover, data from FAO's 2024 report, "The Unjust climate," reveal that rural women heads of households in low- and middle-income countries lose more income than men due to heat stress and flooding. If temperatures were to rise by just one more degree, these losses would increase by 34%, deepening inequality and poverty.  

Despite international commitments such as Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement, some national strategies still fail to effectively address these inequalities. To tackle this challenge, FAO supports countries through three key actions: reviewing and adapting national drought action plans, promoting equitable participation in decision-making, and improving access to capacity building and productive resources.  

This is the moment to act with determination and political will to ensure that no one is left behind in the fight against climate change.