Case Study: Women Advocating for Gender and Climate Justice in Burkina Faso

This case study is part of the FCDO project under the GAGGA programme.

WEP’s approach is not about speaking for these women but about ensuring they have the platform, tools, mutual support and confidence to speak for themselves. Through the Food Sovereignty and Women’s Leadership Project, and the Green Response Initiative dedicated to support communities to adapt to climate change, WEP works with women in Zinaire, Zorgho, and Koudougou who are engaged in agriculture and livestock rearing to define their own advocacy priorities, centering their lived experiences of land insecurity, climate change, and exclusion from decision-making. Women identified key challenges such as land grabbing, lack of legal documentation, and cultural norms that deny them land rights and are particularly severe for widows. Instead of being passive recipients of aid, they took action to become the driving force behind change. WEP provided training on leadership, land advocacy, and sustainable natural resource management, equipping women with the knowledge and skills to push for concrete policy reforms.

“Land and women are the wealth of humanity. By facilitating women’s access to land, we are preserving treasures for future generations,” declared a woman farmer from Zorgho. “We urge our customary and communal authorities to help us formalize long-term land agreements of 15 to 20 years, in line with Article 11 of Law 034-2009 on rural land ownership. This will enable us to fully participate in the agricultural sector, promote gender equality in land access, and increase our contributions to local economic growth.”

The women of Koudougou echoed this call. “Our participation in agriculture benefits our families and strengthens our communities,” stated a representative. “Without secure access to land, our work remains uncertain. We need legal recognition of our land use rights so that we can continue to contribute to food security and local economies.”

As the advocacy efforts gained momentum, women brought their demands directly to traditional chiefs, municipal representatives, and land officials. They called for clear legal rights, fair land distribution, and protection against land expropriation. Authorities acknowledged the urgency of the issue, committing to improving land access for women and strengthening governance structures to ensure their meaningful participation in decision-making. With this success at hand, the newly formed women’s cooperatives are keeping the momentum alive, continuing to organize, advocate, and influence local governance. What started as a series of trainings has the potential to evolve into a grassroots movement with lasting impact.

WEP’s work in Burkina Faso proves that climate solutions can go far beyond technical fixes and address structural inequalities and amplify women’s leadership. The climate crisis is not just about environmental shifts, but about ensuring that those most affected have the power to shape solutions. When women define their own advocacy priorities and successfully push for policy changes, they don’t just secure land for themselves. They pave the way for future generations, strengthening food sovereignty, economic and gender justice in the face of a changing climate.

This case study is part of the FCDO project under the GAGGA programme.