The Toll that Extreme Heat Takes on Women (GS Paper 2, Government Policies and Interventions)
Introduction
- Extreme heat has become increasingly prevalent, with 2023 recorded as the hottest year on record and temperatures in India reaching unprecedented highs during May-June 2024.
- This phenomenon disproportionately affects women due to existing power dynamics, gender norms, and unequal access to resources.
- India's rank near the bottom of the Global Gender Gap Index underscores these disparities.
- Given that India is home to over one-sixth of the world's women, the impact of extreme heat on this demographic is profound and multi-faceted.
Hidden Toll on Women
Housing and Domestic Challenges
- Women in informal settlements face multiple challenges due to rising temperatures.
- Their homes, constructed with heat-trapping materials like tin, asbestos, and plastic, become unbearably hot.
- Poorly ventilated kitchens exacerbate the situation, subjecting women to extreme temperatures while cooking.
- This not only impacts their health but also increases their time poverty and care burdens.
- According to the Asian Development Bank's report "Rising Above the Heat," these conditions lead to significant productivity loss for women, who then work longer hours to manage their unpaid domestic responsibilities.
Economic and Opportunity Costs
- The productivity loss due to heat stress translates into 90 more minutes of care work per day for women in India.
- This adds to the already significant gender disparity in time spent on unpaid work, with women dedicating two and a half times more minutes per day than men on tasks like cooking, cleaning, and fetching water and fuel.
- This unpaid labor represents a substantial opportunity cost, as women miss out on potential income, skill development, and adequate rest.
Worryingly Pervasive Conditions
Urban Informal Laborers
- Urban female informal laborers face extreme weather conditions while working in marketplaces, streets, construction sites, landfills, or employers’ homes.
- These workers—street vendors, domestic helpers, construction workers, and sanitation workers—are particularly vulnerable to climate extremes.
- Energy poverty exacerbates their situation, as they often lack access to cooling facilities like fans or air conditioners.
- The scarcity of greenery and natural cooling methods in dense urban areas, coupled with water scarcity and power fluctuations, makes staying hydrated and comfortable challenging.
Rural Women
- In rural India, women endure severe conditions exacerbated by heatwaves. Cooking with biomass, which poses significant health risks, remains prevalent among 56.8% of rural families.
- Women face long working hours under heat stress, whether performing home-based work in poorly ventilated living spaces or working outdoors on projects like MGNREGA.
- Prolonged heat exposure also negatively impacts crop yields, leading to hunger and poverty among rural women.
Unequal Health Strain
Physiological Vulnerabilities
- The incidence of heat-related diseases is rising with increasing temperatures.
- Heat stress strains the body, making temperature regulation difficult and leading to illnesses such as heat cramps, severe heat stroke, and hyperthermia.
- Women are at greater risk due to their physiological makeup, including body fat percentage, water content levels, and hormonal changes associated with menstrual cycles and pregnancy.
- These factors affect heat tolerance and hydration, making women more susceptible to heat-related health issues.
Maternal and Child Health
- Heat stress significantly impacts maternal and child health, increasing the risk of preterm delivery, miscarriage, and stillbirths.
- Given India's higher maternal mortality rates, these risks are particularly concerning.
- Women bear a dual burden from heat-related health issues, as they are more susceptible to its effects and shoulder the majority of caregiving responsibilities that follow.
Conclusion
- Strengthening women's resilience to heat strain is crucial.
- Immediate priorities should include climate-friendly urban planning, development and access to sustainable cooling technologies, a fair division of care work, and the public provisioning of essential services.
- Addressing the social power gradient that determines women's capacity to face this crisis is also essential for any discussion on adaptation and resilience.
- By focusing on these areas, we can mitigate the toll extreme heat takes on women and build a more equitable and sustainable future.
