India’s cities are at the epicentre of rapid urbanisation and intensifying climate risks. Urban climate impacts are escalating, straining already inadequate infrastructure and deepening existing inequalities. At the heart of this crisis is a critical yet often overlooked truth: climate change is not gender-neutral. Women, particularly those from marginalised and low-income communities, bear the brunt of climate-induced disruptions while having limited access to decision-making spaces that shape urban resilience. As groundwater sources dwindle, women in informal settlements spend a disproportionate amount of time fetching water for their household. They are also more vulnerable to heat stress, given their overrepresentation in informal labour sectors such as domestic work, street vending, and construction, where exposure to extreme temperatures and air pollution directly impacts their health. When floods and disasters displace families, women’s access to sanitation, reproductive healthcare, and personal safety is often compromised. Mobility constraints, unsafe public transport, and the absence of gender-sensitive urban planning further restrict their economic opportunities. Yet, despite being among the most affected, women are rarely seen as agents of change in climate action.
Making Climate Action Count: Gender in the Mainstream of Urban Climate Strategies
