This women led hub is reshaping climate justice discourse in Nigeria – Global Voices

Report on the Women Initiative for Sustainable Development (WISE) and its Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals in Nigeria

Introduction: Advancing Climate Justice and Gender Equality

The Women Initiative for Sustainable Development (WISE), a Nigerian non-profit organization, is reshaping the climate justice discourse by championing grassroots, feminist-led solutions. By challenging the elitism of international climate negotiations such as the Conference of the Parties (COP), WISE provides a critical counterbalance that centers the lived experiences of women. The organization’s work directly addresses the intersection of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), primarily SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 13 (Climate Action), by ensuring that principles of care, solidarity, and equity are integrated into the climate agenda from the ground up.

Organizational Profile and Mission Alignment with SDGs

Founding and Core Objectives

Founded in 2009 by Olanike Olugboji-Daramola, WISE evolved from the Environmental Management and Protection Network (EMPRONET) established in 2004. The organization’s core mission is to advance the representation, participation, and leadership of grassroots women in natural resource governance and peace-building. This mission is a direct implementation of SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) by promoting inclusive decision-making. Through lobbying and partnerships, WISE advocates for environmentally sustainable initiatives that also foster the social and economic empowerment of women, contributing to SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). To date, these efforts have directly impacted over 150,000 women.

Engagement with Climate Policy and Advocacy

Local Advocacy for Global Representation

WISE actively works to bridge the gap between local realities and global climate policy, addressing SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). Ahead of COP28, the organization held a Pre-COP28 Awareness rally in Kaduna State to demand climate justice and affirmative representation for women at the conference. The rally highlighted that while women are disproportionately affected by climate change, their voices are often absent from decision-making tables. This advocacy underscores the critical need to include women’s perspectives on issues like deforestation, which is linked to the widespread use of firewood for cooking and impacts SDG 15 (Life on Land).

Contributions to National Climate Strategy

In Nigeria, women’s involvement in shaping climate policy is growing, reflecting a commitment to SDG 5. A key achievement is the National Action Plan on Gender and Climate Change (2020), a strategy developed through extensive consultations to ensure climate policies and programs are inclusive. This plan institutionalizes the role of women in designing and implementing climate action, recognizing their unique knowledge and skills as essential for building national resilience in line with SDG 13 (Climate Action).

Grassroots Initiatives for Climate Resilience and Food Security

Identifying Climate Change Impacts on Women Farmers

Through events like the “COP Missing Voices” dialogue, WISE documents the severe effects of climate change on rural women farmers, which threaten SDG 2 (Zero Hunger). Participants identified several critical burdens resulting from climate-induced flooding:

• Loss of property and livelihoods
• Forced migration and displacement
• Emotional and psychological trauma
• Financial loss and indebtedness
• Increased exposure to disease
• Disruption of family stability and food security

Field visits further revealed the growing crisis of drought, where insufficient rainfall leads to crop failure, directly jeopardizing the livelihoods of women farmers who depend on the land.

Developing Community-Driven Solutions

The dialogues facilitated by WISE have generated actionable proposals for promoting sustainable agriculture and building community resilience. These recommendations align with multiple SDGs:

1. Infrastructure and Environmental Management: Proposing proper drainage systems, improved waste management, and the construction of dams aligns with SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities).
2. Policy and Governance: Calling for stronger enforcement of environmental sanitation, compensation mechanisms, and stricter laws against illegal tree felling supports SDG 15 (Life on Land) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).
3. Capacity Building and Economic Resilience: Recommending tree planting, training for women on constructive response techniques, and enlightenment on insurance policies contributes to SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

Conclusion: Amplifying Voices for Sustainable Development

The work of the Women Initiative for Sustainable Development (WISE), under the leadership of Olanike Olugboji-Daramola, demonstrates the profound impact of centering women in the climate conversation. By transforming the discourse from the grassroots, WISE not only advocates for climate justice but also actively implements solutions that advance a wide spectrum of the Sustainable Development Goals. The organization’s efforts prove that achieving SDG 13 (Climate Action) is intrinsically linked to progress on SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and that empowering women is essential for building a resilient and sustainable future for all.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • The article is centered on the Women Initiative for Sustainable Development (WISE), an organization dedicated to advancing “grassroots women’s representation, active participation, and leadership.” It highlights the need for women’s voices in climate decision-making (“at the decision-making tables, their voices are missing”) and their pivotal role in shaping policies like the National Action Plan on Gender and Climate Change. This directly addresses the goal of achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.

2. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • This is a core theme of the article. It discusses climate justice, the UN Climate Change Conference (COP), and the disproportionate effects of climate change on women. The text details climate-related hazards like floods and droughts, and the need for community-driven solutions, resilience-building, and integrating climate change measures into national policies.

3. SDG 2: Zero Hunger

   • The article focuses significantly on women smallholder farmers whose livelihoods and food security are threatened by climate change. It describes how drought makes soil “drier than usual, cakey and cracked,” forcing a farmer to plant her corn four times. The dialogue on “regenerative farming practices” and promoting “sustainable agriculture” connects directly to achieving food security and sustainable agriculture.

4. SDG 1: No Poverty

   • The economic impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations are clearly outlined. The article lists “Loss of property and livelihoods” and “Financial loss and indebtedness” as consequences of flooding for rural women farmers. Recommendations like “Compensation mechanisms” and “Enlightenment on insurance policies to reduce financial shock” aim to build the resilience of the poor against climate-related disasters.

5. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • The article links the practice of using firewood for cooking directly to environmental degradation, stating it is “one of the greatest causes of deforestation.” It proposes solutions such as “Tree planting and environmentally friendly policies” and “Stricter laws against illegal felling of trees,” which are central to protecting and restoring terrestrial ecosystems.

6. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

   • The issue of energy poverty is raised when Olanike Olugboji-Daramola states, “so many women in Nigeria are still using firewood to cook.” This highlights a lack of access to modern, clean energy sources, which is a key focus of SDG 7.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Target 5.5: “Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.” The article’s core argument is about the need for women’s “affirmative representation” at conferences like COP and their active involvement in creating climate plans, as seen in the “National Action Plan on Gender and Climate Change.”
   • Target 5.a: “Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land… [and] financial services.” The focus on women smallholder farmers and the discussion on the “challenges of accessing finance and technology” directly relate to this target.

2. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.1: “Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.” The article discusses building resilience to floods and droughts through recommendations like “Proper drainage systems,” “Construction of dams and flood-control structures,” and “Training for women on constructive response techniques.”
   • Target 13.b: “Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management… including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities.” WISE’s entire model of fostering “community-driven solutions” and amplifying “feminist demands” from the grassroots level is a direct implementation of this target.

3. SDG 2: Zero Hunger

   • Target 2.3: “By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women…” The article’s focus on the struggles of “women smallholder farmers” and the dialogue on improving “agricultural production” and overcoming challenges to increase yields aligns with this target.
   • Target 2.4: “By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production… and strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding…” The mention of “regenerative farming practices” and the story of a farmer struggling with drought and needing to replant crops highlight the need for resilient agriculture.

4. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • Target 15.2: “By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.” The article identifies cooking with firewood as a cause of “invasive deforestation” and recommends “Tree planting” and “Stricter laws against illegal felling of trees” as solutions.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicator for SDG 5 (Target 5.5)

   • Implied Indicator: Proportion of women in decision-making bodies related to climate change. The article implies this is a key metric by repeatedly mentioning that women’s “voices are missing” from high-level discussions like COP and that WISE advocates for their “affirmative representation.”

2. Indicator for SDG 13 (Target 13.b)

   • Direct Indicator: Number of people reached by grassroots climate initiatives. The article provides a specific number: “To date, our efforts have directly impacted over 150,000 women at the grassroots.” This serves as a direct indicator of the scale and reach of capacity-building efforts.

3. Indicator for SDG 2 (Target 2.4)

   • Implied Indicator: Agricultural resilience and productivity under climate stress. The story of Madam Elizabeth, who “was forced to plant her corn at least four times this year before the crops could finally stabilize,” provides a qualitative indicator of low resilience and productivity that needs to be improved.

4. Indicator for SDG 7 (Target 7.1)

   • Implied Indicator: Proportion of the population with primary reliance on clean fuels and technology. The statement “so many women in Nigeria are still using firewood to cook” implies that a significant proportion of the population still relies on polluting fuels, which can be measured to track progress.

5. Indicator for SDG 1 (Target 1.5)

   • Implied Indicator: Direct economic loss attributed to disasters. The article lists “Loss of property and livelihoods” and “Financial loss and indebtedness” resulting from floods as key burdens on women, which are measurable indicators of vulnerability to climate-related shocks.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: globalvoices.org