Gender Mainstreaming and Climate Mitigation Actions in Nigerian Governance: Problems and Prospects

Since 2015, the prevailing challenges of gender inequality and climate change have garnered attention from the United Nations. While gender equality represents the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #5, climate action is listed as Goal #13. Gender equality is a saturated area in the extant literature of gender studies while the literature on the nexus between the climate change and gender mainstreaming are in short supply. Apart from the environmental hazards created by climate change, vulnerable groups, especially women, are facing higher risks and greater burdens from its impacts. The effects of climate change have led to a global quest for decarbonization, the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions through the use of low-carbon power sources. Despite the global quest for decarbonization, the effects of climate change are alarming. The impact of climate change has widened the gap of gender inequality. Empirical studies show that women in agriculture are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change compared to their male counterparts. It is also evident that women and men experience climate change impacts differently due to their socially constructed roles and responsibilities in developing countries. Because climate change affects the availability of surface water, rural women, who are usually given the task of fetching water, have to travel greater distances to collect water, increasing their already substantial workloads. This study assesses the National Action Plan on Gender and Climate Change for Nigeria and its impact on gender mainstreaming in Nigeria. The study adopts methodological triangulation. The primary data were generated through key informant interviews (KIIs); the secondary data were sourced from textbooks, journal articles, and web-based materials. The data generated were analyzed using inductive methodologies and thematic analysis. The study recommends more gender-sensitive climate actions and the proper formulation of structures and processes toward the full realization of gender mainstreaming.