Survival in Searing Heat: Women Bear the Brunt of Climate Change

Majida Begum, a ragpicker from Delhi, represents the daily struggles of Indian women facing heat and humidity exacerbated by climate change. Female-headed households, often in marginal sectors, are disproportionately affected. Health risks and economic losses intensify as women struggle for survival amidst extreme heat.

Majida Begum's sweat-lined face tells a story common to millions of Indian women. As she sifts through waste in Delhi's Seemapuri, she underscores the grim realities faced by women amid intensifying heat and humidity.

A UN FAO study highlights that female-headed rural households suffer 8% more income loss due to heat stress compared to their male counterparts, as climate change tightens its grip globally.

Women, largely confined to unorganised sectors with labor-intensive tasks, face severe economic and health challenges, explained Seema Bhaskaran of NGO Transform Rural India. Majida, 65, is evidence of this reality, working long hours despite harsh conditions.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)