Abstract

Background: In Sub Saharan Africa (SSA), livestock contribute significantly to livelihoods, food security, and nutrition. Women play indispensable yet under recognized roles in livestock management, impacting household nutrition, resilience, and adaptive capacity to climate change. Despite policy recognition of gender and climate change, systematic evidence linking women’s livestock roles with climate resilience and nutrition outcomes remains fragmented.
Objective: To systematically synthesize evidence on the nexus of women’s involvement in livestock production, climate resilience, and nutrition in SSA, and to propose a conceptual framework that guides policy and intervention design.
Methods: We conducted a systematic review of peer reviewed literature (2000–2025) from Web of Science, Scopus, AGRICOLA, and Google Scholar. Eligibility included studies reporting primary or secondary data on gendered roles in livestock, climate adaptation/resilience outcomes, and nutrition indicators in SSA. The PRISMA 2020 protocol guided study selection. Data were extracted on study design, context, livestock species, gender roles, climate adaptation strategies, and nutrition outcomes.
Results: From 3,412 records, 126 articles met inclusion criteria. Women’s roles spanned small ruminant care, poultry rearing, milk processing, and market engagement. Across studies, women’s livestock management correlated with improved dietary diversity and child nutrition, yet gendered constraints (access to inputs, extension services, credit) limited resilience to climatic shocks. Effective climate smart livestock interventions incorporated women’s agency, knowledge, and leadership.
Conclusions: Women are central to sustainable livestock based livelihoods in SSA. Interventions enhancing women’s access to resources and decision making improved climate resilience and nutrition outcomes. A conceptual framework integrating gender, climate adaptation, and nutrition is proposed to guide research and policy.