Our response and mitigation approaches to heat and other such extremes should be gender-sensitive
Malati did not want to be photographed. Like Malati in Sambalpur, this female vendor sits near a flyover in Kolkata, trying to sell corn cobs. She is shielding her head from the sun with an umbrella. iStock photo for representation
On the last day of May, I had a chance meeting with Malati (name changed), a street fruit vendor in my hometown of Sambalpur in Odisha, at the time the sun was at its hottest. More than 10 cities of Odisha, most of them in the western part of the state, experienced temperatures of more than 45 degrees Celsius on May 31. Respite is nowhere in sight, as weathermen predict this situation to continue until mid-June. Just in a day, at least 16 people have faced unnatural deaths in four western Odisha districts, news channels report quoting official sources. The ongoing heatwave for sure has taken these lives, even though we need to wait for official confirmation that’s done after post-mortem reports.
The Odisha Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) has warned people not to work during peak heat hours of the day. Malati was not supposed to be selling stuff from 12 noon to 3 pm, someone from the police told her. But she had nowhere to take shelter. She cannot return to her village that’s 25 kilometres away. She, along with a few other people from her village, have an arrangement with a vehicle owner who drives them to the city every morning and takes them back in the evening. She cannot leave her workplace in between. If she does, on an emergency, she has to bear extra cost and would also lose a day’s income. So, this warning from the SRC is meaningless for her.
Malati is not alone. Millions of women sit and trade in these informal and uncertain markets daily to keep their families running. When on the streets as petty vendors, they are not women anymore. They don’t enjoy any special rights that other women do. No one cares whether they are on their period or are pregnant or whether they have other special needs such as safe toilets, shelters during peak heat periods, and so on. Our streets are not gender-sensitive. The informal market place exists on these streets.
Women are more vulnerable to climate change than men. Women and children are 14 times more likely to die due to climate-related disasters. Researches have shown that women and girls are more likely to die during heatwaves in India, among other countries, and are more likely to suffer mental illness, partner violence and food insecurity following extreme weather events. Current projections suggest that several Asian and Pacific cities will see temperatures rise by as much as 4°C if greenhouse gas emissions remain at current levels. Malati stares at a tough future.
Cities in India are already recognising this challenge. Looking at Delhi’s Heat Action Plan (HAP) makes it clear that women, in informal settlements as well as in such informal economic zones, are most vulnerable to climate change impacts such as extreme heat. The HAP talks about ensuring sheds for resting and drinking water facilities for workers at all workplaces, and to take special care for vulnerable groups such as women and the aged.
Meanwhile, Malati feels fortunate enough that she sits in a vending zone that’s under a flyover. She gets much-needed shade but the summer loo (hot wind) is no less a killer under a flyover than in open places. Afterall, it’s all concrete. A little bit of respite for sure but the fact that there is no drinking water facility and public toilets nearby makes her no less vulnerable than the ones sitting in other places. None of these vending zones are legal, another vendor told me. So, officially, they are not entitled to any basic amenities. They are on their own.
The battle against climate impacts can’t be fought alone. Malati and millions of other women in all cities have a right to life with dignity, in normal conditions as well as under climate extremes. Our response and mitigation approaches to heat and other such extremes should be gender-sensitive.
Ranjan Panda is convenor at Water Initiatives. He writes on water, environment, and climate change issues concerning the vulnerable communities, including youth, women & indigenous peoples.
Views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth
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