This paper analyses how African feminist theories can provide nuanced insights into the gendered dimensions of climate change across the continent. African feminist theories provide important insights into the everyday lived experiences of women within African spaces, allowing for a contextual analysis of the impacts of climate change. There has also been a growing recognition of the need to identify gender-differentiated impacts of climate change (Tuana 2013). The main argument is not only that climate change will be experienced by men and women differently but also that women will be more severely hurt by the impacts than men (MacGregor 2010). Yet this theorisation still needs to employ theoretical lenses that place African women at the centre of analysis. African feminist theories will be utilised to provide a theoretical account of embodied gender differences grounded in the complex realities of African women’s everyday experiences. African gender theories argue that research on women’s realities should be fully grounded in and informed local realities. African feminist theories are neither unitary nor homogenous but represent a radical rethinking of women’s experiences on the continent. The theories, however, speak directly to two concepts which will be key to this study: positionality and intersectionalities. By positionalities, the study will analyse how experiences of climate change depend on where women are situated and the conditions within which they exist that shape access and control of resources for resilience. The paper will thus focus on highlighting the intersectional complexities characterised by generational, class, identity, racial schisms and ethnic coalitions, as well as contradictions that define every day for women in different conditions on the continent.

The 2021 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change observed that “vulnerability of ecosystems and people to climate change differs substantially among and within regions […], driven by patterns of intersecting socio-economic development, unsustainable ocean and land use, inequity, marginalization, historical and ongoing patterns of inequity such as colonialism, and governance.” The uneven distribution of climate change impacts is influenced by historical and spatial injustice stemming from systemic discrimination, inequality and marginalization, imperialism, slavery, and colonialism. Sudden and slow onset climate impacts such as rising temperatures and sea levels, increased flooding and drought, ocean acidification, as well as the increasing frequency of extreme climatic events and “natural disasters” exacerbate the vulnerabilities of marginalized communities and groups such as Indigenous Peoples, ethnic and sexual minorities, migrants and refugees. Not only do indigenous peoples face increased risks of poverty, food insecurity, displacement and forced migration, but they also face the possible loss of cultural heritage and erosion of their right to self-determination. In 2021, the Human Rights Council recognized the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a fundamental human right. The Council further recognized that the impacts of climate change, environmental degradation and the continued exploitation of natural resources constitute a significant threat to the effective enjoyment of this right and other human rights. Using doctrinal methods and the human rights-based approach, this paper therefore explores opportunities within the human rights and international development system to effectively address the specific demands for climate justice from vulnerable communities and marginalized groups, focusing on poor and rural women, Indigenous Peoples, informal urban communities (slum dwellers), forest-dependent communities, and sexual minorities. The findings seeks to highlight alternative development approaches that can potentially transform the existing system in the service of more just futures.

Turtle Up offers an innovative new program that operates at the intersection of human rights, environmental sustainability, and inclusive economic growth. At Turtle Up, we embrace the truth of intergenerational love and interdependence that calls us toward new kinds of civic, ecological, and global understanding. This lens of interdependence solidifies the global through the specificity of the local. Turtle Up is about conservation, education, and transformation. Our conservation work and hands-on, immersive eco-trips are aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and with the United Nations General Assembly, who recently recognized that a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is a human right. Turtle Up aims to sustainably preserve and conserve Ghana’s sea turtles by embracing a community and human rights-based approach that fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion while also seeking to decolonize Africa and fostering economic development in Ghana’s coastal communities. We place high value on the tenets of fair-trade learning; prioritizing reciprocity in relationships through collaborative, cross-cultural participation in learning, service, and shared goals. This two-way collaboration is ongoing. Local Ghanaian experts have a voice in how the community is engaged, the important areas of focus for conservation efforts and determining the impacts (positive and negative) that the eco-trips generate. Our vision is to contribute to a future where marine life and people in coastal communities thrive. Our dream of a flourishing sea turtle population is dependent on the well-being of the people and communities that the turtles come into contact with. We also believe in robust accountability and assessment systems, grounded in collaboration and action research principles. Together, we learn to act and act to learn. Action research is a participatory, collaborative, and ethical approach to gaining knowledge of real-life phenomena, while also making a contribution to improving the lives of the people with whom a researcher works.