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African Development Bank (AfDB) Group Director for Gender, Women and Civil Society, Dr. Jemimah Njuki, says women are not merely victims of climate change but are “architects of resilience and sustainable economic growth” across Africa.
Njuki said that despite producing half of the world’s food and leading climate adaptation efforts, women entrepreneurs in climate-sensitive sectors continue to face systemic financing barriers.
Read more: Zambia pushes for global action on climate change at COP-30 summit
She made the remarks at the launch of the Economic Resilience Pathways Webinar Series: Solutions and Opportunities by Women Leaders for Climate Action (WLCA), held under the theme: “Economic Pathways for Women in the Just Transition to a Climate Resilient Economy: Solutions, Opportunities and Challenges.”
“The Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) is actively dismantling these hurdles. As of November 2025, AFAWA has approved US$2.95 billion in financing through 199 partner institutions across 46 countries. This massive intervention has supported nearly 26,000 women entrepreneurs and created an estimated 80,700 jobs in sectors like agriculture and renewable energy,” Njuki said in Lusaka on Friday.
She noted that AFAWA was dispelling the myth that lending to women was risky through its Guarantee for Growth (G4G) programme, where data shows non-performing loan claims stand at “a mere one percent.”
Njuki said this confirms that women are “highly bankable,” but stressed that the challenge is making financial institutions more “women-able” by removing collateral constraints.
She added that resilience also required inclusive leadership, noting evidence that countries with higher female parliamentary representation adopted stronger environmental policies, and gender-diverse companies invested more in renewable energy.
“Gender-inclusive climate action is smart economics, not charity. When policymakers and financiers de-risk investment and embed gender equality in their strategies, they do not just empower women, they secure Africa’s future,” she said.
Earlier, WLCA founder and B2P Country Director, Nachilala Nkombo, said that with the right knowledge, skills, technologies and infrastructure, Africa could build an economy that was both resilient and inclusive.
“Despite women carrying a disproportionate burden of the climate crisis, they are responding to the realities of climate change with courage, innovation, and action,” Nkombo said.
She explained that the objective of the five-part webinar series was to amplify the visibility of women driving economic resilience, inspire more women to build green enterprises, and promote participation of women-led small and medium enterprises in high-value segments of the climate economy.
Another objective is to generate evidence to inform policies and programmes that strengthen women’s leadership and enterprise in the climate transition.
Women Leaders for Climate Action (WLCA) Director of Sustainability and Membership Lead, Sarah Banda Ortiz, called for stronger investment in women, saying their purchasing power and economic value were central to national growth but remain overlooked.
“Women’s purchasing power and economic value rarely make headlines, but they shape the decisions that keep businesses alive. Most major household choices, from food to education to banking, are driven or heavily influenced by women. Yet the systems around overlook this reality at the expense of our broader community,” Ortiz said.
She said WLCA aimed to correct that narrative, adding: “We believe women are bankable. That’s why these webinars matter: they create room for women to learn, share, connect, grow and be recognised. We are truly grateful that you are now part of our community, because together we are stronger.”
Citing evidence from the Bank of Zambia’s 2018 Baseline Survey, Ms Ortiz said women demonstrated stronger loan repayment behaviour than men, yet many financial institutions still viewed them as “risky” borrowers or fail to tailor financial products to their needs.
“It’s a missed opportunity hiding in plain sight. If all financial institutions adjusted their product to this fact, women could lift the sector and economy higher. We call on them to partner with Women Leaders for Climate Action to seize the opportunity to invest in women and change this reality for the good of our country,” she said.
Delivering the vote of thanks, WLCA representative, Mauwa Lungu, said the launch marked “a turning point” in efforts to strengthen economic resilience through women-led climate solutions.
“We have seen today that empowering women is not just good for climate action — it is smart economics,” Lungu said.
She added: “When women are given the tools, financing and opportunities they deserve, entire communities benefit. That is how we build a climate-resilient Zambia.”
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