Sarah Jatau’s PhD research is uncovering the hidden impacts of climate change in her native Nigeria. Focussing on the women who make up around 70% of the agricultural workforce in the Country, she has uncovered stories of vulnerability and inequality. She hopes one day her research will inform policy and lead to positive change, promising the women she spoke to that she would be their voice and advocate for a better life for them.
As a strawberry farmer in Nigeria, Sarah Jatau had already seen how small shifts in weather could ripple through an entire season - disrupting crops, income and stability. But it was only later, when she returned to rural communities in her homeland as part of her PhD, that she began to see a much bigger story unfolding.
She realised there was a gap - one that stretched far beyond the fields. In Nigeria, agriculture is not just an industry; it is survival. It contributes significantly to the country’s economy and sustains millions of rural households. But within that system, there is a group whose role is both vital and often overlooked. Women. They make up the majority of the agricultural workforce - around 70% - working long hours to feed their families and communities. Yet despite this, their voices are rarely heard in conversations about climate change, policy or adaptation.
For Sarah, this absence was impossible to ignore. Travelling to Plateau State as part of her research, she spent time in four rural communities, sitting down with women farmers and asking them about their lives. At first, there was hesitation. Some of the women were suspicious, unsure why someone would come to ask questions without expecting payment. But Sarah persisted, explaining that she was there simply to listen. Slowly, trust began to build. “They were excited to have a woman who looked like them come and do some research,” she recalls.
What followed were stories that would stay with her. The women spoke of changing rainfall patterns, failing crops and the daily uncertainty of farming in a changing climate. But what emerged was something far more complex than environmental impact alone.
Climate change, they explained, was woven into every part of their lives. When crops failed, income disappeared. When income disappeared, feeding their children became harder. Schooling was disrupted. Healthcare became unaffordable or inaccessible. The strain reached into homes and relationships. “It’s everything,” Sarah says. “Their finances, their health, their children’s education.”
For many of the women, leaving to find other work is not an option. While men might migrate for employment, women remain, caring for children, managing households and continuing to work the land, no matter how difficult conditions become.
Some conversations revealed even deeper challenges. The women spoke about land they worked but did not own; about decisions that affected their livelihoods but were made without them; about violence and economic control within their homes.
One woman’s words were particularly stark: “We need our men to provide for the women and children, as well as help us on the farm. The men should stop beating and collecting money from us.”
These were not just stories of climate vulnerability. They were stories of inequality - structural, social and deeply embedded. For Sarah, her research has become something more than academic work. “It is the possibility to make change that drives me,” she explains.
Despite the challenges they faced, the women Sarah met were resourceful, determined and deeply committed to their families. They adapted where they could - changing planting times, finding new ways to cope - but adaptation alone was not always enough. Without support, without access to information, and without fair systems in place, resilience has limits. By the time she left, Sarah had made a promise. “I told them I would be their voice,” she says.
It is a promise that now drives her work - amplifying their experiences, challenging assumptions, and pushing for change at a wider level. Because for Sarah, the goal is not just to understand climate change; it is to make sure the people living through it are finally heard.