In recent years, India has seen a sharp rise in heatwaves and hazardous air pollution, both of which have far-reaching consequences for public health. However, a growing body of evidence reveals that women, especially in low- and middle-income settings, face a disproportionate share of this environmental burden. Whether they are working under the harsh sun in agricultural fields or cooking with biomass in poorly ventilated slums, women are uniquely and invisibly vulnerable to climate stressors.
This blog explores how heat and air pollution uniquely affect women in India, why this gender disparity exists, and what must be done to make climate action more inclusive.
Understanding the Gendered Nature of Climate Exposure
Women are not biologically more susceptible to climate risks. Rather, their roles in the household, societal expectations, lack of access to health infrastructure, and decision-making inequality amplify their vulnerability to environmental stressors.
1. Domestic and Caregiving Roles
Women in both rural and urban India are often responsible for cooking, water collection, and caregiving. These tasks increase their indoor and outdoor exposure to pollutants and extreme temperatures. For instance:
Cooking on traditional stoves in rural homes using firewood or cow dung leads to long-term inhalation of fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
Urban women in slums are exposed to both indoor pollution and poor ambient air quality from traffic, industrial zones, and open waste burning.
2. Heat Stress in Agricultural and Informal Work
Many women in India are employed in agriculture or the informal sector, such as construction, vending, or domestic work. These jobs are typically outdoor, physically demanding, and lack basic protections like shade or hydration facilities. Studies show that:
Prolonged heat exposure can impair female fertility, increase risks of dehydration, and cause heatstroke.
Pregnant women are particularly at risk, with extreme heat contributing to preterm births and low birth weight.
Rural Women: On the Frontlines of Climate Hardship
Lack of Infrastructure
In rural areas, women often walk long distances to fetch water, especially as traditional sources dry up during heatwaves and droughts. Carrying heavy water containers under the blazing sun adds physical and physiological stress.
Crop Failure and Food Insecurity
Since many women manage household nutrition and participate in farming, climate-induced crop failures affect their livelihoods and food availability, further worsening gendered poverty and undernutrition.
Limited Health Access
Women in rural India are less likely to seek medical help due to mobility issues, financial dependency, and social restrictions. As a result, they remain undiagnosed or untreated for pollution-related diseases like chronic bronchitis or asthma.
Urban Women: Living in Climate Traps
Urban heat islands, where concrete and asphalt retain high temperatures, disproportionately affect women living in informal housing settlements with tin roofs and no insulation. These homes turn into ovens during summer, and women’s exposure increases due to time spent indoors on domestic chores.
In addition, women working as domestic workers, street vendors, or sweepers are exposed to extreme outdoor pollution, often without masks or health insurance.
Intersectionality: When Gender Meets Poverty, Caste, and Age
Not all women are equally affected. Dalit women, elderly women, pregnant women, and women with disabilities face multiple layers of disadvantage. The intersection of caste, class, and gender exacerbates exposure and reduces resilience.
Current Gaps in Policy
While India has launched major climate initiatives like the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) and heat action plans in cities, most policies lack a gendered lens. There are few efforts to:
Collect sex-disaggregated data on climate health impacts.
Involve women in local climate adaptation planning.
Provide women-specific cooling or protective gear.
Towards Gender-Inclusive Climate Action
1. Health Services & Awareness
Train health workers to recognize climate-related conditions in women.
Provide targeted awareness campaigns on indoor air pollution and heat protection.
2. Technology Access
Distribute clean cooking stoves and solar-powered cooling systems.
Provide access to air purifiers or breathable masks in urban slums.
3. Women in Decision-Making
Empower women to be part of village or city climate committees.
Support women’s self-help groups in developing local climate solutions.
4. Climate-Resilient Infrastructure
Build shaded water collection points.
Improve housing designs with climate-adaptive materials.
Conclusion
The effects of climate change are not gender-neutral. In India, women bear the brunt of environmental degradation due to entrenched inequalities in labor, access, and voice. If India is to craft truly sustainable and resilient futures, its climate action must address these inequities head-on.
Protecting women is protecting the backbone of India’s climate resilience. A gender-sensitive approach is not a luxury but a necessity in the fight against heat stress and air pollution.
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