Scorching Inequity: How Climate Change Disproportionately Affects Women in India
Extreme heat poses serious health risks to women, including a higher risk of complications during childbirth.
By: SHRIYA SHARMA & SAMIYA CHOPRA
"How do poor people like us escape these summers?"
— Shareeban, 50, resident of Noor Nagar (South East Delhi)
Although May and June are typically India’s hottest months, summers in the subcontinent have been getting more intense by the year.
The past May recorded some of the hottest days in history with the national capital experiencing back-to-back heatwaves.
In March 2024, over 60 percent of India recorded above-normal maximum temperatures. As the frequency and intensity of heat waves increase, so does their impact.
Notably, no group is more impacted than economically weak women belonging to rural and semi-urban spaces.
"Being a woman is an absolute tragedy, especially when the climate is not favourable. We are not only responsible for ourselves but for the entire household," says Shareeban, 50, a resident of Noor Nagar, South East Delhi.
(Shriya Sharma is a freelance journalist based in Delhi. She reports on issues of public policy, gender, environment and culture. Samiya Chopra is an independent journalist based in Delhi. She reports on culture, gender and health.)
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