In Zambia, where nearly half of women and girls have already experienced physical, emotional or sexual violence, frequent climate disasters are intensifying women’s vulnerabilities.
Many Zambian households are headed by men. When climate impacts like reduced harvests and lower returns strain household resources, existing power imbalances increase the risk of violence against women.
Women experiencing violence at home often have nowhere to turn to. They are frequently shunned and stigmatized by society. Even when women seek help from traditional leaders, male leaders can often bring their own biases and women are typically blamed for their circumstances.
At the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), we work with survivors to strengthen their skills and help establish themselves as successful and productive members of their communities.
Through the project Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA), we support women farmers to become self-reliant. We do this by providing training and access to agricultural practices that are resilient to climate change. We also work with male community leaders to shift social norms that perpetuate violence against women in the first place.
Meaningful change requires understanding the context in which people live
To create real impact, we must deliberately design development interventions that reach survivors of gender-based violence. This requires consistent reflection and adaptation through implementation — asking what is working, what needs to be improved and how to ensure the women involved in the program end up in a stronger position than before.
Understanding the diversity of their circumstances is essential to provide tailored solutions because women’s experiences differ based on their age, race, disability and other aspects of their life, which create distinct challenges.
Co-creating solutions to build more secure livelihoods
Most women in Zambia do not own land, while some have left their marital homes due to violence. Supporting women to plan financially and make informed decisions is critical for their long-term stability.
To support women farmers’ economic independence, we worked closely with the community — especially women leaders — to find ways to improve access to finance for women facing violence. Together with a small-scale financing organization, we created a credit assessment system that required no land ownership or physical assets to obtain financing. Instead, applicants were assessed based on their motivation, skills and knowledge.
Without this gendered approach to financing, many women would not have been able to access finance entirely, leaving them and their children vulnerable. Many who participated in the program invested their income in children’s education, healthcare and small businesses. Some even built solar-powered gardening schemes.
As one participant explained, “we have been able to take our children to school. Previously, the girls were getting married off instead of going to school.” Girls who drop out of school have a higher risk of being married much earlier than those who stay enrolled at school. The project enabled parents to afford the costs of schooling for girls, whose education tended to be given less priority.
Extension officers became role models, showing what’s possible through women’s leadership
Our goal was to work with and help survivors of violence see themselves not as victims, but as active participants in development initiatives. Our partner, Better World Innovation, trained female extension officers — local advisors who work directly with farmers — to share practical knowledge to improve agricultural practices. These officers understood the unique challenges faced by survivors of violence.
They offered guidance on how to grow crops more efficiently. One farmer said the program has helped strengthen their agroforests and guided them in diversifying tree species. For example, introducing Gliricidia alongside their regular rotation of maize and soybeans, a nitrogen-fixing tree that enriches the soil and helps improve crop yields over time.
Better World also introduced the Harvest app, which offers information on input suppliers, current market prices and selling options. As a result, the farmers were able to plan better and choose where to sell their produce. The app also connected them to agricultural insurance, which many were unaware of. The resilience and determination of these farmers are helping shift attitudes, from unfairly blaming survivors for the violence they experienced to recognizing them as leaders in the community.
Transforming how traditional leaders and communities respond to violence against women
Many men resort to violence because they are taught it is normal, acceptable or even expected. This is why socialization — reshaping what entire communities teach children and young people about relationships, power and acceptable behavior — is critical. This is where attitudes begin to shift, helping to prevent violence against women in the long term.
To do this, IWMI engaged traditional leaders who helped resolve conflicts within families. We worked with them to rethink traditional views about men’s roles and the accepted practices that reinforce violence in the first place. “In the past, I would blame the wives and say it was their fault,” said a traditional leader who participated in the program. “But now I understand the power dynamics between men and women and the underlying causes of violence.” Instead of simply telling women to “listen to your husband,” he now counsels both partners on building better relationships, understanding each other and creating healthier household dynamics.
As a result of these socialization practices, male heads of households are beginning to adopt more equitable cohabitation practices at home, including shared financial planning. “Saving has taught us responsibility — how to use money wisely. Before, I wouldn’t sit with her [my wife] to discuss what we should do. But now, I’m compelled to say, ‘Come, let’s sit together and discuss how we are going to spend it.’ This has helped us a great deal. We are now moving forward together, in the same direction,” said one farmer.
These interventions show that change is possible. In Zambia, we are seeing men challenge harmful beliefs, women leaders bringing new knowledge to communities and survivors of violence gaining the skills needed to build safer futures. By addressing the root causes immediately, we can help prevent violence and build communities where everyone can feel safe and supported, even as climate change adds new pressures to daily life.
