Scorched and Invisible: Why India's Rising Heat Is a Gender Issue

Extreme heat is more than an environmental inconvenience—it is a profound socio-economic crisis. Women whose labour support countless households and communities, remain conspicuously absent from public policies designed to mitigate climate impacts. However, the resilience of India's informal economy is intricately linked to women's ability to withstand climate-induced stress.

Women in the informal sector, street vendors, home-based producers, agricultural labourers, waste pickers, experience the heat crisis differently, and are burdened by intersecting vulnerabilities. Their workplaces range from street corners under the blazing sun to poorly ventilated homes with heat-trapping roofs. Contrary to popular belief, indoor informal workers, for example, those stitching garments or assembling products, often endure temperatures over 45 degrees, compounded by hazardous materials that only amplify their heat exposure.

Unfortunately, existing policies barely acknowledge the gendered nuances of climate vulnerability. These frameworks frequently overlook the realities of women informal workers, neglecting essential interventions such as shaded marketplaces or access to clean water. While parametric heat insurance schemes such as those piloted by SEWA offer some relief, they are only temporary solutions.

The economic fallout from extreme heat is severe. According to studies, the daily earnings of informal workers can plummet by up to 50% during heatwaves. Customer numbers decline sharply as people avoid outdoor markets during peak heat hours. Home-based workers experience drastic productivity losses due to unbearable indoor conditions. This creates chronic economic instability, pushing women towards predatory loans or asset depletion.

Prolonged heat exposure also erodes long-term productivity and health. Women juggling domestic responsibilities alongside paid labour face greater stress. Daily chores like cooking over traditional biomass stoves, fetching water or managing homes intensify their heat exposure, depriving them of essential recovery time. This results in chronic fatigue and health deterioration, which then reduces their workforce longevity and earning potential, trapping them in a cycle of poverty.

The mental and reproductive health consequences of exposure to extreme heat are equally severe. Chronic heat stress can lead to anxiety, sleep disruption and increased domestic tensions. Reproductive health issues compound the urgency for targeted health interventions. Yet, these critical dimensions remain absent from most climate adaptation strategies.

This crisis is further intensified by infrastructural neglect. Informal settlements, predominantly inhabited by these workers, lack basic cooling measures like ventilated housing, shaded workspaces, accessible drinking water and safe sanitation facilities. Women often drink less water to avoid unsafe toilets, which leads to kidney issues. This infrastructure gap reveals a deeper, systemic inequality: cooling is not just a luxury but a fundamental need.

How do we achieve gender-responsive climate action?

1. Heat action plans must explicitly incorporate gender-sensitive measures tailored for informal and home-based workers. Policies should mandate gender-disaggregated data collection, localized vulnerability assessments and legally enforceable standards for thermal comfort in workplaces.
2. Substantial investment in resilient infrastructure such as cool roofs, shaded public areas, accessible clean water and sanitation is urgently needed. The private sector can play a transformative role here by leveraging their CSR initiatives and strategic partnerships to invest in gender-responsive, climate-resilient infrastructure, such as community cooling centres, shaded marketplaces and improved sanitation facilities tailored specifically for women.
3. Financial instruments must go beyond insurance—targeted credit lines for cooling solutions and income support during heatwaves are essential.
4. Health systems should prioritise heat-related illnesses, including mental and reproductive health, integrating these concerns into primary care protocols.
   
   

India holds a crucial advocacy role at international platforms, where it can champion the rights of women informal workers as central to climate justice and just transitions. The global community must acknowledge that climate finance is indispensable for vulnerable groups disproportionately impacted by climate extremes.

Making these invisible struggles visible is not just about equity, it is about ensuring India's economic resilience. By prioritising women's adaptive capacity and safeguarding their contributions, India can strengthen its informal economy against climate vulnerabilities. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the hardships of women informal workers do not remain hidden behind polite smiles and silent endurance. As temperatures rise, so must our commitment to gender-inclusive climate action.