The Sahel, spanning 5.4 million km², is a transitional zone of sparse vegetation between arid desert and tropical forest in Africa. Photo by Daniel Tiveau / CIFOR-ICRAF

The Sahel region – a fragile belt stretching across the girth of Africa – is one of the world’s most vulnerable ecosystems. It remains on edge as it faces an intensifying environmental crisis, with climate change accelerating desertification, deforestation and land degradation. These impacts have upended the lives of millions, disproportionately affecting women, who are central to the region’s social and economic fabric.

To address this enduring challenge, the Great Green Wall (GGW) initiative continues to gain traction. Launched in 2007, this African-led effort seeks to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land by planting a ‘wall’ of trees across roughly 8,000 kilometres of the Sahel, from Senegal to Djibouti. The project is designed to combat land degradation while also addressing broader issues such as food insecurity, conflict and climate-driven displacement.

Ongoing discussions facilitated by the Centre for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), supported by the European Union through the Knowledge for Great Green Wall Action (K4GGWA) programme, have reaffirmed the pivotal role of women in achieving the initiative’s goals.

“Women are essential to ensure the GGW flourishes sustainably,” says Emem Umoh, founder and CEO of the Women in Nature Conservation Organisation (WINCO) in Nigeria. “It’s a concrete example of humanity and nature working together to create a legacy – a new world wonder for the next generation.”

Women account for just over half of the 502 million people living in the 11 GGW member states. This figure represents not only a significant presence but also a critical opportunity to ensure that environmental efforts reflect the needs and contributions of women.

Niclas Gottmann, policy officer for land and environment at the European Commission, highlighted the importance of integrating gender into all aspects of the initiative. “The Great Green Wall cannot possibly succeed without gender equality at the core of our interventions,” he said, pointing to the remarkable innovations and leadership already shown by women.

Small actions, big impact

Across the Sahel, women are taking concrete steps to help restore the land and build resilient communities. In Nigeria, Umoh established a biological garden in her community where WINCO has raised more than 500,000 native seedlings for restoration and livelihood purposes. She also founded the Ikot Akpabin Community Women in Conservation Forum (IkaWIC), Nigeria’s first Indigenous women-led conservation platform.

“Women are resilient and powerful actors in nature conservation,” she says, adding that she is committed to training other women in climate-smart agriculture and income-generating activities like jackfruit cultivation.

In Niger, Hadizatou Hamidou, president of the NGO Jupem-Aimane, leads efforts in soil restoration and has helped establish market gardens managed by and for women.

In Burkina Faso, the women-led firm BIOPROTECT is producing biopesticides and organic soil enhancers from livestock residues and other natural materials to replace chemical fertilizers. Since launching in 2011, the firm has recycled more than 15,000 tonnes of animal waste.

“If we don’t take action, this waste will become very dangerous to nature,” says Martine Bonkoungou Sawadogo, BIOPROTECT’s Procurement Director. “We use this compost to plant trees.”

To amplify their efforts, women across the region are connecting through initiatives like the Women Green Platform, established by Keïta Aïda M’Bo, president of Mali-based ENERGIA and a former Minister of Environment. The platform provides women with tools to interact, exchange knowledge, and advocate for their rights within the GGW framework.

“This platform gives women a voice in spaces where they are often excluded,” says M’Bo. “It’s a foundation for the economic, social and political empowerment of women in the region.”

The platform also promotes capacity building, policy dialogue and information exchange in areas such as land management, biodiversity and climate resilience.

Persistent challenges, enduring hope

Despite growing momentum, significant challenges remain. Women still face barriers in accessing climate finance, training and decision-making platforms. Gaps persist in aligning national gender policies with GGW strategies, and local knowledge often goes unrecognised.

“Women must be trained to design innovative projects and access financing directly,” M’Bo says. “Bypassing intermediaries is key to speeding up impact.”

She advocates for better data on funding mechanisms and more structured approaches to scale successful projects like the Women Green Platform.

Hadizatou Hamidou also stresses the importance of investing in land rehabilitation, health, education, and green jobs that support both sustainability and social cohesion. “Combining traditional knowledge with innovation is crucial for preserving biodiversity and ecosystem services,” she says. “For example, farmers are using zaï pits and half-moons to grow crops while replenishing groundwater.”

Participants continue to call for mapping women’s networks, scaling up effective practices in land restoration and mobilising political will to integrate women’s perspectives across all GGW efforts.

As Kessen Fatoumata Tall of the Association Mauritanienne pour l’Environnement (AME) and co-writer of the award-winning film Timbuktu puts it: “People are waiting to know their fate.”

Increasingly, it is women who are helping to shape that future.