A growing body of climate research shows that extreme heatwaves are not experienced equally, with women often facing disproportionately severe impacts due to social roles, working conditions, and cultural expectations.
According to a recent research review published via The Conversation and featured on disaster resilience platform PreventionWeb, rising temperatures across Asia, Africa, and Oceania are reshaping daily life in ways that go far beyond direct health risks.
The study highlights that women are more likely to remain indoors during heatwaves due to caregiving responsibilities, often in poorly ventilated homes without cooling systems. This leads to increased physical strain and mental stress. In many workplaces, especially informal sectors in countries like India and Bangladesh, inadequate sanitation and water access further worsen dehydration risks, as women reduce fluid intake to avoid unhygienic toilets.
Cultural norms also intensify exposure. In parts of India, Maldives, and other regions, clothing practices and social expectations mean women often experience higher heat stress than men under identical conditions.
Researchers also found that extreme heat has wider social consequences. It can increase isolation among women, particularly pregnant women in rural regions, reduce participation in community life, and even contribute to rising domestic violence risks in some areas. In certain cases, heat stress and financial pressure have been linked to increased child marriage rates in South Asia.
However, the research emphasizes that women are not passive victims of climate stress. Across many regions, they are actively developing grassroots adaptation strategies. In informal settlements in Ahmedabad, India, women have painted rooftops white and used recycled materials like coconut husks to reduce indoor temperatures. In Bangladesh, women have built shaded, ventilated rooms that serve both as cooling spaces and community hubs. Similar community cooling structures have emerged in Jakarta.
These locally driven solutions often called “everyday adaptations” combine survival strategies with social support systems, showing how climate resilience is being built from the ground up.
The report concludes that climate adaptation policies must move beyond gender-neutral approaches and formally recognize the unequal burden of heat exposure. Supporting community-led innovations, especially those created by women, could play a crucial role in preparing for increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves in the coming decades.