Thermatic Areas

GERI’s work spans six interconnected thematic areas, each grounded in the belief that gender equity is essential to building environmental resilience.

Six Areas, One Shared Vision

01

Climate & Environment

The issue

Climate change drives erratic rainfall, droughts, and soil degradation across rural Nigeria. Women farmers lack climate info, credit, and voice in adaptation planning. Deforestation accelerates environmental collapse.

GERI’s approach

We provide climate education, support climate-smart agriculture (CSA), facilitate ecosystem restoration, and advocate for climate policy. Women farmers lead in our trainings and decisions.

Impact

✓ 120 farmers trained in CSA
✓ 15+ hectares under improved management
✓ 3 community climate adaptation plans adopted

02

Governance & Peace

The issue

Weak governance, armed violence, and resource conflicts undermine environmental programmes. Women and youth are excluded from peace-building and governance despite being most affected.

GERI’s approach

We strengthen community institutions, build inclusive governance capacity, facilitate resource conflict dialogue, and advocate for gender-inclusive peace-building.

Impact

✓ 50+ community leaders trained
✓ 3+ multi-stakeholder dialogue forums
✓ Women’s committee representation: 15% → 40%+

03

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH)

The issue

27 million Nigerians practice open defecation. In Benue State, poor sanitation drives disease, child mortality, and girls’ school dropout due to menstrual shame. Women walk miles for water.

GERI’s approach

We use Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS), where communities design solutions. We train female health workers, establish school WASH committees, and implement menstrual hygiene programmes.

Impact

✓ 48 communities ODF status
✓ 2,360+ members trained
✓ 15+ schools with MHM programmes

04

Agric Business

The issue

Women produce 40% of food but own <10% of land. They lack credit, extension, and market access. Agricultural value chains exclude women from profits.

GERI’s approach

We support climate-smart agriculture, facilitate market linkages, strengthen farmer cooperatives (with strong female membership), and advocate for equitable agricultural policy.

Impact

✓ 120 farmers (40% women) trained in CSA
✓ 8+ cooperatives (400+ members, 50%+ women)
✓ 25–35% average yield increase

05

Women & Youth Empowerment

The issue

Rural youth lack employment and economic opportunity. Women are excluded from decision-making and entrepreneurship. Gender norms limit women’s mobility and economic participation.

GERI’s approach

We provide vocational skills training, facilitate women’s savings groups, connect youth to markets, and build women’s leadership in community governance. Men are engaged as allies.

Impact

✓ 200+ youth trained in vocational skills
✓ 80% post-training employment rate
✓ 15+ women’s savings groups (500+ members)

06

Family & Reproductive Health

The issue

Nigeria faces high maternal and infant mortality. Young people lack sexual health education. Menstrual shame keeps girls out of school. IDPs face acute health vulnerabilities.

GERI’s approach

We provide comprehensive sexual health education, implement menstrual hygiene management programmes, train community health workers, and deliver health services to IDPs.

Impact

✓ 500+ young people with health education
✓ 15+ schools with MHM programmes
✓ 2,000+ IDPs reached with health services

Our Strategies for Sustainable Impact

Research

GERI conducts evidence-based research, assessments, and studies to better understand community needs, emerging development challenges, and opportunities for sustainable solutions. Our research informs policy, programme design, and interventions across climate resilience, WASH, governance, health, and livelihood sectors.

Networking, Collaboration and Partnering

We foster strategic partnerships with government agencies, development organizations, civil society groups, private sector actors, and local communities to maximize impact, leverage resources, and promote sustainable development outcomes.

Advocacy and Campaigns

GERI engages in advocacy and awareness campaigns to influence policies, amplify community voices, promote social justice, and drive positive action on climate change, gender equality, peacebuilding, public health, and environmental sustainability.

Capacity Strengthening and Building

We strengthen the knowledge, skills, and capacities of individuals, community groups, institutions, and stakeholders through training, mentoring, technical support, and leadership development initiatives that enhance resilience and self-reliance.

Documentation, Research and Publications

GERI documents lessons learned, best practices, success stories, and research findings to support knowledge sharing, evidence-based decision-making, policy development, and continuous learning among development actors and communities.

Resource Mobilization

We mobilize financial, technical, and material resources through partnerships, donor engagement, fundraising, and collaborative initiatives to support sustainable programmes that improve lives and strengthen community resilience.

Gender Mainstreaming

Gender equality is integrated across all our programmes and interventions. We promote inclusive participation, equal opportunities, and the empowerment of women and girls while addressing barriers that limit their social, economic, and political advancement.

Promotion of Indigenous Values and Best Practices

We recognize and promote indigenous knowledge, local innovations, cultural values, and community-driven solutions that contribute to environmental sustainability, peaceful coexistence, climate adaptation, and sustainable development.

Care for Widows, Orphans and the Less Privileged

GERI supports vulnerable populations through humanitarian assistance, livelihood support, social protection initiatives, and community-based interventions that enhance dignity, well-being, inclusion, and opportunities for a better future.

Help Us Scale Our Impact

Every project represents an opportunity to transform lives, strengthen resilience, and create sustainable change.

Projects