Climate change is increasing workload and vulnerability of rural women: Govt
According to the government, about 65% of India’s total female workforce is engaged in agriculture, one of the most climate-sensitive sectors. Women constitute around 30% of cultivators and about 43% of agricultural labourers.
Climate change is increasing the workload of women and enhancing their vulnerability, particularly in rural areas, the government informed the Lok Sabha.
In a written reply, the environment ministry said India’s Third National Communication submitted to the UN climate body in 2023 notes that climatic extremes and climate change are magnifying the workload of women. Recurring instances of erratic rainfall and the rising likelihood of extreme weather events often lead to loss of agricultural produce.
Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said that women are exposed to harvest losses, which are often their sole source of food and income. He added that climate variability disproportionately affects sectors traditionally associated with rural women, including paddy cultivation, cotton and tea plantations, and fishing.
According to the government, about 65% of India’s total female workforce is engaged in agriculture, one of the most climate-sensitive sectors. Women constitute around 30% of cultivators and about 43% of agricultural labourers, the minister said.
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Women in rural India play a central role in agriculture, water collection, food security, and household sustenance, making them particularly vulnerable to climate shocks.
As climate change alters rainfall patterns, increases heat stress and intensifies extreme weather events, women often shoulder additional unpaid labour, including longer hours in the fields, greater responsibility for family nutrition and increased caregiving during climate-induced health crises.
Limited access to land ownership, credit, technology, and climate-resilient resources further compounds their vulnerability, reducing their ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions. These structural challenges mean that climate impacts are not gender-neutral, with rural women facing disproportionate economic and social consequences.
The government said it has launched several schemes and programmes that directly or indirectly reduce women’s exposure to climate risks. These include the National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram, and the Mother and Child Tracking System under the National Health Mission.
It said these initiatives aim to reduce women’s exposure and sensitivity to climate-related risks while strengthening their adaptive capacity.
(With inputs from PTI.)