Chad

Women and girls in Chad continue to face heightened risks of gender-based violence and exploitation amid overlapping conflict and climate-related crises. The war in neighboring Sudan has spilled over into Chad, while the influx of Sudanese refugees—more than 85 percent of whom are women and children—are straining already-scarce access to food and resources. Displacement shelters and camps are overcrowded, while funding cuts reduce access to services and place additional pressure on host communities. At the same time, violence committed by armed groups operating in the Lake Chad Basin, including Boko Haram, fuel displacement and insecurity; extremist groups have subjected women and girls to gender-based violence, forced marriage, and other abuses.

Chad is experiencing a widespread malnutrition crisis which disproportionately harms women, including those who are breastfeeding and pregnant. Health systems are overwhelmed, creating significant barriers to accessing maternity care in one of the world’s poorest nations. In some displacement camps, health facilities providing sexual and reproductive services have shuttered as a result of funding shortages, leaving women and girls with limited access to healthcare and increasing their vulnerability to exploitation and abuse. The government is largely unable to provide sufficient resources to both Chadian and Sudanese women and girls, exacerbating need and stoking intercommunal tensions. Climate shocks, including drought and flooding, further compound food insecurity and displacement.

As Mahamat Déby consolidates power despite promises to promote democracy, women remain underrepresented in broader political and peace processes despite gains in parliamentary representation. Women hold more than one-third of seats in both chambers of parliament, exceeding Chad’s 30 percent gender quota, but continue to face barriers to meaningful influence in political decision-making and formal peace processes. At the local level, women are reportedly driving grassroots mediation efforts across the country, underscoring their critical role in designing and implementing peace.

A dispute over access to water in eastern Chad escalated into retaliatory attacks that left at least 42 people dead and prompted military intervention, underscoring the growing volatility of resource-based tensions. Competition over water and land—intensified by the influx of refugees from neighboring Sudan—is driving localized conflict and straining already limited resources. These dynamics heighten protection risks for women and girls, who are traditionally responsible for securing water and household resources and face increased exposure to violence and insecurity in contested areas.

The eastern Chadian border with Sudan continues to experience a massive influx of Sudanese refugees as people flee atrocities. More than 900,000 Sudanese refugees have already been recorded in Chad, 86 percent of whom are women and children. Over 40 percent of Chad’s population is in need of humanitarian assistance, and the additional strain on 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.

 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.

Since 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. In 2026, complementary efforts expanded support for displaced and host communities, with over 13,000 refugees participating in GBV capacity-building activities, 446 women engaged in prevention and response initiatives, and roughly 1,400 women receiving agricultural training to strengthen income generation, stability, and financial independence.