Chad

Women are increasingly unable to access humanitarian aid and other resources, as US foreign aid cuts and an influx of refugees from Sudan strain the current aid environment. Almost 90 percent of arriving Sudanese refugees are women and children, who depended on USAID programs for their basic needs. In some displacement camps, health facilities providing sexual and reproductive services have shuttered as a result of funding shortages. These foreign aid cuts make it difficult for the government to provide resources to both Chadian and Sudanese women and girls, exacerbating need and stoking intercommunal tensions. Additionally, Chad’s malnutrition crisis continues to disproportionately harm women, including those who are breastfeeding and pregnant. Despite these challenges, women have worked to support peacebuilding, with local women leaders reportedly mediating at least 30 local conflicts.

Following the complete withdrawal of French troops in February 2025, Chad is likely to continue its pivot toward Russia as a security partner. The expanding presence of Russian mercenaries may heighten the risk of sexual and gender-based violence against local women and girls, given reports of abuses in other contexts where they operate. As Mahamat Déby consolidates power despite promises to promote democracy, the growing curtailment of civic engagement will constrain women’s participation in public life and advocacy. Opposition candidates have been arrested during contested and allegedly corrupt elections, while journalists and civil society actors have faced harassment and arrest. The combined impacts of ongoing conflict, climate-related events, and limited humanitarian resources are expected to persist as major threats to women and girls, while foreign aid cuts and shrinking civic space further undermine effective responses.

The Chadian government stripped two activists, who were vocal critics of the government, of their citizenship. The move sets a dangerous precedent for free speech and poses a threat to all Chadian activists, including women who may be forced to limit their civic engagement and political participation out of fear of losing their citizenship. This comes alongside efforts by President Idriss Déby to consolidate his power and silence opposition.

The eastern Chadian border with Sudan is experiencing a massive influx of Sudanese refugees as people flee atrocities in Darfur. Nearly 888,000 Sudanese refugees have already been recorded in Chad, 86 percent of whom are women and children. The depletion of humanitarian resources has left many women and girls without access to lifesaving healthcare, including pregnancy support, while exacerbating overcrowding and deteriorating security conditions—including rising sexual assault—in and around refugee camps.

Amidst the cholera outbreak, women and girls—who often care for sick family members and comprise the majority of frontline health workers—are impacted at twice the rate of men. The first case of cholera in Chad was confirmed in a refugee camp on July 13, 2025. Since then, almost 2,900 cases have been reported, with poor sanitation and unsafe water in displacement camps elevating the risk of a larger cholera outbreak.

 Women living in areas governed by Boko Haram face worsening barriers to providing for their families and accessing economic opportunities. Some women, typically fisherpeople and farmers, are forced to pay a tax on their profits or risk economic and physical harm. Female vendors at local markets have previously been threatened, had their stalls looted, or gone bankrupt due to increased instability caused by Boko Haram’s presence.

A year after launching Phase I of a WPS initiative in Chad, the program has provided training and resources to more than 5,000 women to support their economic empowerment. The initiative, implemented by UNDP in partnership with the government of France, also supported women’s political participation, inclusion in local peacebuilding, and climate resiliency.

On September 22, 2025, the second phase of the PROGESSAN project, which aims to improve sexual and reproductive health, was launched in the Guéra and Wadi Fira regions. The project will reach up to 196,000 people and can provide crucial resources for women, especially new mothers.

Increased investment in climate change preparedness offers a chance to prioritize the needs of women and girls. Women make up over 60 percent of Chad’s agricultural labor force, yet are often unable to steward land due to discriminatory inheritance practices and a lack of legal protections. Building climate resiliency must center the needs and voices of Chad’s women.