ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (BG) – A South-South exchange workshop organised by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) brought together delegations from Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast to share strategies for integrating gender equality into climate change initiatives.

The event, held from 10 to 12 December, focused on implementing safeguards for the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) initiative and equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms, according to a statement released by the AfDB on Tuesday.

Nathalie Gahunga, head of the AfDB’s Gender and Women’s Empowerment Division, praised the participants’ efforts to integrate gender-sensitive approaches into climate projects.

Bruno Zouré, a gender expert, led the discussions, emphasising that gender refers to the culturally assigned roles and responsibilities of men and women.

He clarified that gender equality is about addressing inequalities to achieve social justice, not favouring one group over another.

The workshop presented tools for gender-responsive budgeting, gender marker systems and strategies for including women and vulnerable groups in REDD+ benefit sharing.

A human rights-based approach to ensuring equitable impacts of climate change projects was also highlighted.

Participants visited the Agnéby-Tiassa region to observe REDD+ activities. In the village of Ségbévi, they visited a 1,763 hectare forest restoration site managed by Raphael Agbé, which focuses on biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.

They also visited a 2.45-hectare cocoa agroforestry site in Ananguié, where Sylvie N’Gbesso has increased production by integrating forest trees into her plantation, a technique learned through the PROMIRE project.

The exchange, funded by the CIF and implemented by the AfDB in partnership with the Government of Burkina Faso, highlighted sustainable practices and the importance of gender-sensitive approaches to combating deforestation and mitigating climate change.