Empowering Ghana’s rural agriculture through gender-inclusive climate action

While existing studies have examined gender dimensions of climate change impacts, there remains a paucity of studies specifically investigating how gender influences the selection and success of both agricultural and non-agricultural livelihood strategies in the face of climate change. This study employs a gender lens to examine agricultural and non-agricultural livelihood strategies, the effects of climate change on livelihood diversification, and strategies for enhancing livelihood diversification in Juaben Municipality, Ghana. A total of 325 small-scale farmers (SSFs) were randomly selected. Quantitative data underwent analysis utilizing both descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data was subjected to content analysis. The study revealed that farmers were primarily engaged in crop and livestock farming, with 67.9 and 32.1% of females engaged in crop farming and livestock activities respectively. A total of 70.4 and 29.6% of males were also involved in crop farming and livestock farming respectively. Males predominantly pursued non-agricultural livelihoods such as chainsaw operation and masonry, while females were primarily involved in trading. Climate change significantly affects crop yields, pest management, and disease control, presenting unique gender-specific adaptation challenges. The Mann-Whitney test revealed significant gender differences in challenges faced by farmers adapting to climate change, notably inadequate credit facilities and poor road conditions. The Relative Important Index ranked marketing skills, access to information, and credit facility loans as crucial for improving non-agricultural livelihood activities. Findings underscore the need to address gender-specific challenges and prioritize key strategies such as enhancing marketing skills, facilitating access to information, and improving credit facilities to support diversified income sources for farmers, particularly female farmers in the Juaben municipality.