IDRC Research Chairs, Experts Call for Gender-Sensitive Responses to Climate Change and Forced Displacement in West Africa

Addressing the growing impact of climate change and displacement across the region, experts and research chairs have called for urgent gender-sensitive responses that place women and vulnerable communities at the centre of policy and practice. 

This call was made during a high-level regional webinar on “Intersecting Crises: Gender, Climate Change and Forced Displacement in West Africa,” convened by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Research Chairs on Forced Displacement in West Africa.

The virtual event, held on July 18, 2025, brought together more than 150 participants from academia, government institutions, international organisations, and civil society. Participants joined from across Africa, Europe, North America, Asia and Oceania, with countries represented including Ghana, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Morocco, Guinea, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Canada, the United States, India and New Zealand.

In welcoming participants, Ms. Roula El-Rifai, Senior Programme Specialist with the Democratic and Inclusive Governance Division at Canada’s IDRC, who chaired the session, described the webinar as the first in a series of networking engagements for the IDRC Chairs in the West Africa region. 

She highlighted it as a strong example of collaboration that reflects regional cooperation between the two chairs in unearthing critical research evidence on displacement and climate challenges. She further noted that the next global IDRC Chairs meeting, scheduled for June 2026 in Morocco, will provide an important platform to showcase new knowledge, focus on policy dialogue, and emphasise how evidence is being translated into action.

Prof. Mary B. Setrana, IDRC Chair for Anglophone West Africa and Director of the Centre for Migration Studies, University of Ghana, provided an overview of evidence emerging from Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. She stressed that efforts by the Research Chairs, supported by the IDRC, are vital in addressing displacement challenges that are being compounded by climate change.

 Prof. Setrana challenged governments and policymakers in the region to move beyond rhetoric and commit to gender-sensitive interventions that protect women and girls, who disproportionately bear the brunt of violence, exclusion and loss of opportunity during displacement.

From the Francophone perspective, Dr. Tiga Alain Ouedraogo, IDRC Chair for Francophone West Africa based at Joseph Ki-Zerbo University in Burkina Faso, presented on “Dynamiques de genre, déplacements forcés et pressions environnementales à Kaya.” His presentation shed light on the realities in Burkina Faso, where conflict and environmental stressors converge to displace thousands, aggravating gender inequalities in access to resources, livelihoods, and security.

Adding to the discussion, Mr. Charles A. Kwenin, CEO of the International Migration Policy Recruitment and Advocacy Centre and former IOM Regional Director for Southern Africa, drew on experiences across several West African countries to illustrate current displacement dynamics. He discussed the need for inclusive and coordinated policy frameworks that integrate climate adaptation strategies, migration management, and gender equity.

Also addressing participants was Ms. Rita Amukhobu, Chief of the Division of Humanitarian Affairs and Free Movement of Persons at the African Union Commission, who highlighted the AU’s ongoing efforts to strengthen humanitarian governance and regional frameworks on migration, displacement and climate resilience.

The topical issues of gender, climate change, and forced displacement were brought to the fore for further discussion, with speakers underscoring the urgent need for evidence-based policymaking. According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), Africa witnessed over 16 million internal displacements in 2022, more than half of which were linked to climate events. West Africa alone recorded 7.4 million of these movements, underscoring the urgency of coordinated and inclusive responses.

An outcome of the deliberations was a shared recognition that addressing displacement in West Africa requires a multidimensional approach, one that builds resilience to climate shocks and addresses entrenched gender inequalities. Participants agreed that the role of research is central in bridging the gap between policy and practice, and the work of the IDRC Research Chairs provides a valuable platform to generate knowledge that informs inclusive and sustainable solutions.