Climate Adaptive Strategies of Rural Women in Upper East and West Ghana

Abstract

This study, conducted in May 2025, explores the role of rural women farmers in strengthening agricultural productivity through climate change adaptation in Ghana’s highly vulnerable Upper East and Upper West Regions. Drawing on a mixed-methods design, which combined surveys with 628 farmers and 20 focus group discussions involving 160 participants, the research offers critical insights into the challenges, strategies, and outcomes of adaptation from a gendered perspective. Findings reveal that climate change is universally experienced among farmers in these regions, primarily through erratic rainfall patterns, prolonged droughts, and rising temperatures. The foremost challenge is financial, as the cost and limited availability of critical inputs, particularly improved seeds, prevent many farmers from fully embracing more effective strategies. Despite these barriers, the study highlights the tangible benefits of adaptation. Most farmers reported improvements in yields and household food security, and average farm income increased more than threefold. The study concludes that rural women farmers are at the forefront of climate resilience, actively contributing to food security and productivity despite structural and systemic limitations. Empowering rural women farmers by addressing these systemic constraints is not only a matter of equity but a strategic pathway to ensuring national food security and building resilient agricultural systems in the face of accelerating climate change.