Madagascar is highly exposed to climate-related shocks, including recurrent cyclones and droughts, which disproportionately affect women due to entrenched social norms, high poverty levels, and limited access to land ownership and financial services. This report, commissioned by the Centre of Excellence on Gender-smart Solutions and conducted by Oxford Policy Management, examines how Climate and Disaster Risk Finance and Insurance (CDRFI) policies and programmes in Madagascar integrate Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI), and assesses whether existing frameworks effectively address differentiated vulnerabilities. Drawing on research and stakeholder consultations, the analysis highlights key constraints, including low financial and insurance literacy, limited decision-making power for women, weak regulatory incentives for gender-responsive insurance products, and persistent gaps in sex-disaggregated data. Climate shocks further intensify livelihood insecurity, disruptions to education and gender-based violence, particularly in rural and cyclone- and drought-prone areas, deepening gendered vulnerabilities.  

This review focuses on the integration of gender considerations in CDRFI policies and programmes in Madagascar, with a particular emphasis on women and girls, while also addressing the specific vulnerabilities of children, people with disabilities, and older populations affected by climate-related shocks.

This publication is a product of the Centre of Excellence on Gender-smart Solutions (CoE); for more information, please visit https://coe-gendersmartcdrfi.org/. The CoE is an initiative that serves as a knowledge hub for advancing gender-responsive approaches within Climate and Disaster Risk Finance and Insurance (CDRFI), providing the latest insights, practical guidance, and opportunities to promote equitable and inclusive solutions.