["Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, EarlyView. ", "\nABSTRACT\nThis paper examines the influence of gender on the adoption of Climate‐Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices in West Africa. An exogenous switching treatment effect regression model with the Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition method is used in the study. Data were collected from the 2018/2019 Harmonized Household Living Conditions Survey across five West African countries. The results indicate that if female plot managers had the same characteristics as their male counterparts, their likelihood of adopting CSA practices would increase, yet it would still be lower than that of men. The decomposition analysis shows a significant gender gap favouring men in Burkina Faso and Senegal, unlike in Ivory Coast and Togo. These gender differences are mainly due to structural factors such as household size, education, access to credit, commercialisation, income, livestock ownership, family labour, pesticide use, soil fertility and the availability of agricultural extension agents and cooperatives. To effectively address gender disparities in CSA adoption, policies could focus on improving these structural conditions rather than solely on ensuring equal access to production resources. This approach would enhance policy effectiveness and empower women to better utilise their agricultural resources.\n"]