“African women unite to defend our lands, waters, and forests!” This is the theme of the 3rd Women’s Climate Assembly (WCA), taking place from October 7 to 11, 2024, in Saly, Senegal.
This major event brings together more than 120 women activists and community leaders from 12 West and Central African countries to address the urgent climate crisis severely impacting the continent. Organized by a Steering Committee composed of community organizations and their allies—including Lumière Synergie pour le Développement (LSD, Senegal), Green Development Advocates (GDA, Cameroon), Kebetkache Women and Development Resource Centre (Nigeria), and WoMin African Alliance—the event builds on the success of two previous gatherings held in 2022 and 2023 in Port Harcourt and Lagos, Nigeria. These past assemblies have strengthened African women’s commitment to tackling climate challenges.
This year, the Women’s Climate Assembly aims to reinforce and unify women’s struggles against polluting extractive industries and false climate crisis solutions in West and Central Africa. It also seeks to propose women-centered development solutions that will enable women, their families, and communities to live sustainably while preserving their livelihoods amid the worsening climate crisis. In Africa, women and girls—often responsible for providing care, water, and food for their families—bear the brunt of climate change impacts. Despite these challenges, they are resilient and offer crucial responses to the crisis. As key actors in sustainable agriculture, community leadership, and biodiversity conservation, women play an essential role. However, their voices are often marginalized in national and international climate policy discussions. This is evident in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Conference of the Parties (COP), which have yet to propose effective solutions even as climate crises worsen globally.
The 3rd Women’s Climate Assembly provides a platform for women to rise, organize, and unite to defend their lands, waters, and forests. With threats looming over the Congo Basin and the Amazon, this year's assembly is a critical space for African women and communities as they prepare for COP29, which will be held in Azerbaijan in November 2024.
At the assembly, Tin Hinan and the Allahou Wallou women’s group were represented by Habibou Bandé. Speaking on behalf of the groups, she highlighted the many challenges faced by young girls and women, especially in terms of climate change and environmental protection. Habibou Bandé also expressed hope that these girls and women would receive the support needed to strengthen their financial, moral, and psychological capacities, helping them become effective future leaders.
The Women’s Climate Assembly 2024 is a vital space for African women to share experiences, develop strategies, lead their struggles in solidarity, and advocate for transformative climate action and environmentally sustainable development alternatives.
