India

 

26 02, 2026

Homestead farming is empowering Indigenous women in central India

2026-10-30T15:50:05-04:00Tags: |

Women in Madhya Pradesh are becoming leaders of their homestead farms. Farmers like Kusum Devi harvest brinjals (eggplant), chillies, cowpeas, tomatoes, leafy greens, and more to gain additional income and nutrition for themselves and their families. Kusum earns up to INR 1,200 (USD 14) per month selling her produce in the local market while dietary diversity has doubled for her family. She is not alone. Kusum is part of a growing network of Indigenous Gond and Baiga women utilizing this homestead model on about 400-500 square meters of land each. However, it’s not just fruits and vegetables they are learning about. With the help of organizations such as the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN), they are also implementing solar power, rainwater harvesting, and composting systems, and raising livestock. From growing to selling, “earlier, we were invisible in farming,” says Kusum. “Now, we are the decision-makers.”

3 11, 2025

Meet the Women Survivors of the World’s Worst Industrial Disaster

2025-12-09T23:29:10-05:00Tags: |

On the 3rd of December, 1984, a toxic methyl isocyanate gas leak at Union Carbide’s pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, caused the world’s deadliest industrial disaster. Over 10,000 people died within three days, and long-term deaths and illnesses have continued for decades. Survivors, especially women, have experienced intergenerational health issues, such as miscarriages, cancers, and disabilities, alongside contaminated water supplies. Now in her 70s, Bano Bee, who fled the gas cloud with her five children, is still one of the movement’s strongest voices. Alongside women such as Ramkali, Krishna Bai, and others, she has helped to transform the suffering of survivors into India's most significant female-led environmental justice movement. Together, they organize sit-ins, hunger strikes, marches, and symbolic protests, demanding compensation, clean water, and corporate accountability. Groups such as the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal (ICJB), which unites survivor organizations, continue to put pressure on Dow Chemical (the company that acquired Union Carbide) and the Indian government. Despite violent crackdowns, arrests, and poverty, these women persist, leading demonstrations, negotiating with officials, and maintaining international attention on corporate crime. At the 40th anniversary in 2024, Bano Bee stood with other women, torch in hand, declaring survivors’ resilience. Their fight shows that, four decades later, the women of Bhopal refuse to be silenced in their struggle for justice.

1 07, 2025

How Women are Driving the Sustainable Energy Transition

2025-07-21T14:31:46-04:00Tags: |

The voices most often uplifted in the renewable energy transition, and the broader energy sector, are typically men. However, women have long been the unsung heroes of the industry. According to the World Economic Forum (2022), only one in five leadership positions in the energy industry are held by women. Despite this disparity, women have been leading the renewable energy transition through grassroots movements expanding leadership roles, research, advocacy, and entrepreneurship. Female leaders such as Vibha Dhawan, Director General at The Energy and Resources Institute, and Gauri Singh, Deputy Director General at the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), have worked to bridge the gender gap in the industry through their positions. Activists like Mani Khurana of the World Bank and Rashi Gupta, founder of Vision Mechatronics, have also played significant roles in integrating women into the renewable energy sector by advocating for inclusivity and equity to counter the underrepresentation of women in the field. Women have also been vital contributors to the renewable energy transition through education, research, and entrepreneurship, all while challenging traditional gender roles that have historically excluded them from the energy sector.

31 03, 2025

The Forced Sterilization Of India’s Sugarcane Farmworkers

2025-12-09T23:36:59-05:00Tags: |

In Beed, Maharashtra, countless female sugarcane farm workers are being forced into dangerous and exploitative medical procedures. A 2018 NGO survey revealed that 36% of women in Beed had undergone a hysterectomy, compared to a national average of just 3%. In many villages, nearly one woman per household had her uterus removed, with the procedure being carried out for a variety of reasons. These surgeries are rarely by choice: women often seek help for treatable issues such as infections or irregular periods but are misleadingly told by doctors that their uterus is supposedly 'damaged' or that they might 'catch cancer' without surgery. A government committee later confirmed that over 13,500 hysterectomies had been performed from a survey of 80,000 women, and warned that the true number could be much higher. Women such as Bhanubai Madhulkar Shinde and Shailaja Gandhle were deceived into having their uteruses removed to meet the demands of Maharashtra’s massive sugar industry. Contractors and doctors exploit them to ensure uninterrupted labor, since menstruation or pregnancy could reduce productivity. Activists such as Trupti Malti and Usha Balasaheb Awhad are exposing how this exploitation is deepened by the combined effects of capitalism and climate change. Rising temperatures and droughts worsen working conditions, pushing women’s bodies beyond their limits. In the pursuit of profit and productivity, their health, dignity and autonomy are compromised, revealing the deep intertwining of gender, labor and climate injustice in India’s sugarcane fields.

12 09, 2024

Lessons from India’s Bhopal Union Carbide Disaster

2026-03-26T00:32:24-04:00Tags: |

The 1984 disaster at the Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) in Bhopal, India is another example of terrible security measures that put people and the environment at risk. The massive gas leak killed more than 22,000 people and caused illness for more than 550,000. Some of those who survived the accident at the plant are still struggling with health issues until this day. The survivors have mobilized to seek restorative justice and fight against an extractivist system that exploits ecosystems and humans. Kakoli Mitra, a member of the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action (ASATA) saw this as an opportunity to bring together other communities and organizations fighting the same battle. This motivated her to create the Ecosymbionts Regenerate initiative, where innovators, knowledge-holders, and grassroots changemakers can come together to work collectively against the larger exploitative system and promote human–ecological interconnectivity. As Kakoli notes, in order to achieve restorative justice, impacted communities and their allies must come together to create and adopt disruptive, synergistic strategies.

25 06, 2024

Three ideas to beat the heat, and the people who made them happen

2025-05-24T19:19:18-04:00Tags: , , |

The article highlights how extreme heat impacts vulnerable workers, especially women, and shares three innovations to mitigate these harms. One example is Hansa Ahir, a waste recycler in Ahmedabad, India, whose income has been halved because it’s too dangerous to work in midday heat. To address this, she bought a low-cost insurance policy through the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), which compensates her when temperatures rise. This provides financial security for women like Ahir, who depend on daily wages. Additionally, tools like Extrema Global, a mobile app that helps people find cool routes and rest spots, protect those exposed to heat, including women balancing outdoor work and caregiving. Legal protections for outdoor workers, like farmworkers in Washington state, where laws entitle them to water, shade, and breaks, show how workers in agriculture and informal sectors are particularly vulnerable. Extreme heat exacerbates gender disparities in income, health, and safety, but practical solutions are emerging to help women and other laborers adapt.

27 02, 2024

Milling a circular economy: This woman makes flour, cookies, and more from spent grain from breweries

2025-03-09T23:47:31-04:00Tags: |

Elizabeth Yorke, the founder of Saving Grains, discovered the potential of spent grain—a by-product of the brewing process—in 2016 while interning with food historian William Rubel. Learning that spent grain can be upcycled into flour led Yorke to explore how the 70+ breweries in her Indian hometown, Bengaluru, handle this by-product. She explains that “There is a lot one can do by upcycling spent grain, and that is what we are exploring at Saving Grains.” Saving Grains upcycles beer waste from local breweries into flour, which is then used to make products like crackers, cookies, rotis and ladoos. With a focus on creating a circular food economy, Yorke collaborates with community centers like Kutumba Community Centre, where the grain is processed into flour for local use. Despite challenges, Saving Grains has partnered with four breweries and bakeries and is exploring new upcycling ideas, such as using coffee grounds. Through initiatives like the Serial Upcyclers Club, Yorke aims to raise awareness about reducing food waste at a community level and encouraging people to get creative about food sustainability through the upcycling of by-products.

27 01, 2024

The Sundarbans dilemma: Islands swallowed by water, and nowhere else to go

2025-03-27T17:28:37-04:00Tags: |

In West Bengal, India, a group of low-lying islands and the largest mangrove ecosystem in the world make up the Sundarbans Forest system. The Sundarbans act as a natural barrier against natural disasters and environmental hazards, as well as a carbon sink. Four cyclones have hit India’s eastern coast from 2019 to 2021, displacing residents of the Sundarbans with government warnings that the region is no longer safe for human habitation. Government relief has been aggravating pre-existing susceptibilities of caste and gender, as relief is selective and contingent on existing land holdings. In addition, the islands are eroding too quickly to relocate people safely. Women-headed households are more common in the Sundarbans than in any other Indian region due to men engaging in distress-forced migration and informal migratory labor, taking them away from their homes. These households face high debts and dependents. As the salinity of the water around the Sundarbans increases, so does commercial brackish water shrimp farming. Women are paid poorly to collect prawn seeds, standing in saltwater for up to six hours. The briny water causes reproductive health issues in women such as pelvic inflammation and urinary tract infections. In addition, the increased salinity is degrading the mangrove ecosystem. Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, became the first claimant for climate-induced loss and damage from the UN Loss and Damage Fund. The requested fund will include money for the climate-displaced residents of the Sundarbans. As money allocation is subject to political leanings, uncertainty surrounds when and how capital will be distributed and how climate resilience will be implemented.

19 01, 2024

New studies reveal impacts of climate change on kids, pregnant women in Indian cities

2025-05-24T19:30:50-04:00Tags: |

The studies reveal how climate change, air pollution, and inadequate public spaces disproportionately affect young children, caregivers, and pregnant women. Research conducted across 18 Indian cities including Delhi, Gandhinagar, and Kharagpur from January 2022 to December 2023 highlights that these vulnerabilities have long-term impacts on children’s development. Women, as primary caregivers and expectant mothers, face greater challenges due to exposure to harmful pollutants and extreme heat, particularly in urban areas. The findings underscore the need for child-friendly public spaces that offer safe environments for early childhood development (ECD) and accommodate the specific needs of children, caregivers and pregnant women. The studies aim to inform policymakers on designing accessible, supportive urban environments that address these gendered and age-specific vulnerabilities, shaping future urban planning.

5 01, 2024

Solar Pumps Are Empowering Women Farmers in India

2025-04-18T21:12:19-04:00Tags: |

In the rural village of Harpur, India, women-led groups like Shiv Ganga Samuha Sichai Samity are using solar-powered irrigation pumps to transform their lives while challenging traditional gender norms. These solar pumps provide affordable and clean energy for irrigation, while addressing historical water scarcity issues and lowering environmental impact. As a result, women farmers have been able to diversify crops, significantly increasing their revenue. This fosters independence from their husbands’ income and enables them to better support their families. The group now supplies water to over a hundred farmers, further boosting their income. Beyond financial benefits, these initiatives have brought women greater confidence and self-reliance. However, these women face challenges in a male-dominated society, including discriminatory comments and a lack of local maintenance support. Despite these obstacles, plans are underway to scale the project to other villages. Sunaina Devi, a member of the group, calls for further investments in technology that support smallholder women farmers and places women at the forefront of climate adaptation.

20 10, 2023

A community-centric approach to building a climate resilient Bengaluru

2025-05-24T21:30:47-04:00Tags: |

The southern Indian city of Bengaluru is experiencing rapid urbanization, population expansion, and strained resources in the face of increasing climate stressors. The city’s urban poor, women, and marginalized groups face greater risk, emphasizing the necessity of including them in urban planning to ensure climate-resilient living conditions. Ellara Bengaluru, a coalition involving citizens, civil society, policymakers, and academia, is working to address climate change impacts at the ward level, focusing on sustainable, economic, and behavioral solutions for lower-income and vulnerable residents. The Mahila Housing Trust, part of Ellara Bengaluru, uplifts women leading efforts towards more sustainable and gender-inclusive cities through collaborative efforts and community decision-making. Initiatives and community-driven projects like these uplift women by involving them in leadership roles and decision-making processes, addressing vulnerabilities while leveraging their knowledge to create inclusive climate solutions.

11 09, 2023

How Traditional Indian Fabrics Are Reinventing the Wheel of Sustainability

2025-02-21T17:34:48-05:00Tags: |

The fast fashion industry has had catastrophic impacts on the environment, health, and local economies around the world. Bandana Tewari highlights hemp and khadi, two Indigenous fabric sources that can help create a more sustainable, ethical, and tended to world. These materials are resilient, durable, and versatile, and can cut down on water and insecticide usage while maintaining a low carbon footprint. The plants also have deep historical and cultural significance—they have been used by Indigenous communities in India and other parts of the world for millennia, from ancient times through decolonization and revolutionary movements. Today, these fabrics have the potential to revitalize sustainable fashion while contributing to job opportunities and economic upliftment for rural India, especially for women. The rich culture, knowledge, and resilience of Indigenous communities in India are continuously woven into the fabric of hemp and khadi as they cultivate sustainable, permanent, and nonviolent alternatives to current systems of consumption.

31 08, 2023

Empowered by Clean Energy: How a Donated Electric Rickshaw Transformed the Life of a Trans Woman Begging on India’s Streets

2025-02-20T18:11:37-05:00Tags: |

Preethi's journey from homelessness to entrepreneurship symbolizes the transformative impact of non-profits and clean energy initiatives in India. Cast out by her family and trapped in a cycle of street begging, her life took a transformative turn when she was handed the keys to her own electric rickshaw. In a landscape where opportunities seemed scarce, this gift not only liberated her from the streets but propelled her into the vanguard of India's burgeoning electric vehicle market. Her story illustrates the convergence of environmental sustainability and social, underscoring the need for inclusive programs that uplift marginalized communities. Through organizations like Shishu Mandir, which provided Preethi and others with electric vehicles, opportunities for economic stability and societal respect are being realized, setting a precedent for a more equitable and sustainable future. As India strives for a "just transition" towards clean energy, initiatives like these are vital for ensuring that no one is left behind in the pursuit of prosperity.

3 07, 2023

How India’s Women Adapt to A Hotter World

2025-03-27T16:21:03-04:00Tags: |

Women-run initiatives are leading the way in mitigating the impacts of extreme heat on India’s most vulnerable. Godavari Dange has worked for over 20 years with women farmers on sustainable climate initiatives through the nonprofit Swayam Shikshan Prayog. Women farmers are the most at risk of high temperatures, so they have developed an alternative farming model. Dange and her team devised a plan to encourage women farmers to grow seasonal, climate change-resilient crops rather than water-intensive cash crops and to avoid daytime farming, encouraging dawn and twilight work instead. In slums, cool roofs are helping in areas that experience temperatures of up to six degrees Celsius higher than surrounding neighborhoods. Bharti Ben, a slum resident, has seen her house temperature soar to 45 degrees Celsius, making her home unbearable. Mahila House Trust, a local nonprofit, painted Ben's roof with a white reflective paint which cooled her home by five to seven degrees Celsius. This is a relatively affordable solution, costing 33 euros per coat of paint. Heat deaths go largely unnoticed in India, so the work by these nonprofits are essential.

28 06, 2023

Climate crisis linked to rising domestic violence in South Asia, study finds

2025-03-27T13:39:26-04:00Tags: , , , |

Heat waves are on the rise and, according to a new study, so is domestic violence against women and girls. The research shows that for every 1°C increase in average annual temperature, there was a rise of more than 6.3% in physical and sexual domestic violence incidents in India, Pakistan, and Nepal. The study tracked almost 200,000 girls and women aged 15-49 for eight years, reporting on their experiences with emotional, physical, and sexual violence. The data overlaid temperature fluctuations over the same period. Excessive heat may lead to failing crops, collapsing infrastructure, crashing economies, and may render individuals unable to work, keeping them at home. The study also showed that while all income groups experienced an increase in heat-related violence, lower-income rural households faced the largest increase.

24 06, 2023

The white roofs cooling women’s homes in Indian slums

2025-05-24T18:50:49-04:00Tags: |

Extreme heat is severely affecting women in Indian slums, particularly in Badi Bhil Basti, Jodhpur where temperatures can soar to 47.8C, causing health issues, discomfort and reduced productivity. A simple yet effective solution is helping: painting roofs with white solar reflective paint. This technique, promoted by the Mahila Housing Trust (MHT), helps to cool homes by reflecting sunlight. Pinky, a high school student from the Bhil tribe, and her community have painted their roofs, significantly reducing indoor temperatures. This initiative, part of broader efforts to build heat resilience, is already providing relief, contributing to improved health and safety outcomes. MHT's sustainable cooling projects provide an accessible and affordable way to mitigate heat. 

23 06, 2023

Why Women Are Especially Vulnerable During India’s Deadly Heat Waves

2024-02-23T13:20:50-05:00Tags: |

Extreme heat costs women like Bhanu ben Javad their health and livelihoods. Javad, who earns  the equivalent of 30 USD a month by threading beads into elaborate necklaces in her slum settlement of Vasant Nagar in the city of Ahmedabad, found it impossible to work as temperatures soared to 46°C (114°F). Working in this heat, Javad experiences intense headaches, nausea, vomiting, and reduced work capacity. Women like Javad make up 65% of the world’s home-based workforce, and there are 42 million home-based workers in India bearing the brunt of deadly South Asian heat waves. A report found that 43% of women faced a loss of income and increased caregiving duties as a result of extreme heat exposure. Experts warn that prolonged extreme temperatures could halt India’s work in reducing gender equality as it may exacerbate poverty. Ronita Bardhan, who co-authored a 2023 Cambridge study, found that since April 2022, 90% of India has been at increased risk from hunger, loss of income, or premature death due to the increasing days of extreme heat. She also notes that women are less likely to take protective measures from the heat, putting them at further risk. In response to the increase in extreme heat days, Ahmedabad became the first city to implement a Heat Action Plan in 2013, which has reduced the number of heat-related deaths by more than 1,000 annually. Additionally, several local collectives, such as the Self-Employed Women’s Association and Mahila Housing Trust, are trialing parametric solutions to provide workers with payouts on extreme heat days to compensate for lost incomes. Photo Credit: Santosh Kumar—Hindustan Times/Getty Images

11 06, 2023

Women’s Action Towards Climate Resilience for Urban Poor in South Asia

2025-06-11T23:34:54-04:00Tags: , , |

The India-based NGO Mahila Housing Sewa Trust (MHST) operates across South Asia, with programs in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal that aim to support low-income women and their households in boosting their climate resilience. MHST's initiatives use an integrated model to organize and uplift these women, providing them with knowledge, leadership skills, and training to adapt to growing climate impacts. To date, the project has trained 1,500 local women to become ‘Climate Saathis,’ who educate local communities about climate change, adaptation, vulnerability and risk assessment, and implementing localized resilient solutions. By employing a women-led model, MHST focuses on local mitigation efforts addressing key climate impacts such as heat stress, water security, vector-borne diseases, and flooding—potent dangers already affecting women and the urban poor.

29 05, 2023

India: How Is Climate Change Impacting Menstrual Health?

2025-03-06T00:48:17-05:00Tags: |

Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of natural disasters globally, leading to mass displacements. In India, floods and cyclones are driving communities out of their homes to seek refuge in camps. In 2020, Super Cyclone Amphan struck India’s coast, forcing around 800 people into a camp. 28-year old Suchitra Jana was one of the individuals staying at this camp, where she would have to queue for hours to use the bathroom or access water. Due to a lack of access to water or sanitary products, women like Jana had to use pieces of cloth as a substitute for days on end with no place to wash or dry the material. For Jana, this led to the development of a painful vaginal infection that lasted around 7 months. These ordeals transcend the campsites, as Mamu Das, a resident of the Assam area which was heavily impacted by floods in 2022, explains. After the flood wreaked havoc on her family’s livelihoods, she became unable to afford sanitary napkins and had to borrow them from shopkeepers to be repaid later. Sobhan Mukherjee, a menstrual health activist, explains that because chronic diseases are prioritized at camps in the wake of a natural disaster, women often suffer in silence when it comes to menstrual health. Even when women do speak up, they often need to travel long distances to the state’s capital in order to receive adequate treatment.

24 05, 2023

[Book Review] A deep dive into the imbalances of climate justice in India

2025-03-27T16:14:46-04:00Tags: |

Climate Justice in India is a 288-page collection of articles covering various topics, such as intersectionality, environment, social justice, and women’s rights, focusing on the question: “Who is impacted the most by climate upheavals and why?”. The book highlights that the nexus of climate change and socioeconomic inequities underscore climate injustices. The most impacted populations are the poor, women, caste oppressed communities, and other marginalized groups. While 75 million people have been pushed further into poverty since COVID-19, India has also declared 55 new billionaires. Renewable energy, a focus of India’s energy expansion, is favoring private industry while its policies are ignoring marginalized groups, including women, in its distribution goals. India’s climate action policy fails to address climate injustices and increasing inequalities. Women have long advocated for water and fuel accessibility as the current distribution is incredibly inequitable; as water and forest biomass availability decrease due to climate change, women will be hit even harder. Dalit women and menstruating women are denied access to “pure” water sources. Dalit women often reuse wastewater or are subjected to sexual and physical violence while attempting to collect water. Climate justice in India must address existing social injustices to avoid further entrenching them.

28 04, 2023

Fighting Giants: Eco-Activist Vandana Shiva on her Battle Against GM Multinationals

2025-02-20T18:22:09-05:00Tags: |

Vandana Shiva, an indomitable force in the realm of environmental activism, has dedicated half a century to shielding seeds and farmers from the clutches of corporate agribusiness, dubbing them the 'poison cartel.' Recognized globally as an environmental luminary, she has confronted the devastation wrought by industrialization in India, championing causes from forest conservation to ecofeminism. Shiva's relentless advocacy against the monopolization of seeds and the hazards of genetically modified crops led her to found Navdanya in 1991, a movement dedicated to preserving India's native seeds. Her landmark legal battles against behemoths like Monsanto underscore her unwavering commitment to justice. Shiva's vision transcends mere resistance; she advocates for a return to sustainable, small-scale farming, rejecting the allure of chemical-intensive agriculture. While her legal battles against agricultural giants capture headlines, Shiva's heart lies in nurturing grassroots movements and preserving traditional farming wisdom, fostering a vision of agriculture that is regenerative, equitable, and firmly rooted in the earth.

30 03, 2023

Meet nine women leading on climate action

2025-03-30T19:02:06-04:00Tags: , , , , |

In various regions around the world, nine influential women are leading the charge in addressing the climate crisis. These resilient leaders represent diverse geographies and organizations and address a range of climate struggles, from gender inequality in climate policy to Indigenous land protection and renewable energy deployment. Upholding a climate justice framework, they emphasize the rights of women, Indigenous communities, and nature, recognizing the unequal impacts of climate change and advocating for inclusive, genuine, and accessible solutions. Bridget Burns, the Director of the Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), advocates for integrating gender equality into climate change policy. Valérie Courtois, as the Executive Director of the Indigenous Leadership Initiative, supports Indigenous communities in their crucial role of protecting lands and water in Canada. Wangari Muchiri, the Director of Africa WindPower, works with governments and businesses to expand wind power deployment across Africa. Desiree Fixler, an advocate for change in ESG investing and sustainability, blew the whistle on greenwashing practices by asset manager DWS Group. Helena Gualinga, an environmental and human rights activist from the Indigenous Kichwa Sarayaku community in Ecuador, champions Indigenous leadership in preserving biodiversity and protecting the Amazon. Bhavreen Kandhari, co-founder of Warrior Moms, campaigns for clean air in India to safeguard children's health. Ina-Maria Shikongo, part of Fridays For Future, fights against oil and gas exploration in the Kavango Basin, prioritizing the well-being of endangered species and local communities. Dr. Heather McMullen advocates for connections between sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) and climate justice. Osprey Orielle Lake, the founder of Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN), collaborates with women leaders, policymakers, and coalitions globally for climate justice and a just transition to clean energy. Despite women, non-White communities, and Indigenous communities being the most heavily impacted by climate change, they have consistently been the ones rising up and working steadily for centuries to push for a safer, healthier, and more just future for all.

13 02, 2023

Tamil Nadu Women’s Collective continues their journey of empowerment and agroecology

2025-07-29T18:15:43-04:00Tags: |

The Tamil Nadu Women’s Collective (TNWC) is dedicated to developing resilient agricultural practices to support local food security in southern India. Initially formed to combat gender-based violence, the collective has since expanded its focus to include agricultural education, production, and activism, particularly benefiting lower caste women. By embracing traditional agroecology practices such as intercultivation and mixed cropping, the women strengthen local food sovereignty, access, and nutrition. TNWC operates on three key principles: uplifting women to support their participation in agriculture, promoting democratic local governance, and advancing resilient agricultural practices for food security. Through the revival of millet-based farming, supported by the Millet Network of India (MINI), TNWC plays a vital role in enhancing food security. Millet’s high nutritional value and resilience under adverse climatic conditions make it central to their efforts. Founded by local Tamil Nadu woman Sheelu, the collective emphasizes the multifaceted role of education in addressing issues of gender, caste, and environmental justice. As Sheelu explains, their ecological initiatives “not only ensure food security at the household level, but also contribute to the climate-resilient community, which is an answer to today’s global problem of climate change.”

21 01, 2023

Women In Karnataka Boost Village Economy By Upcycling Fabric Into Patchwork Quilts

2024-08-26T11:52:01-04:00Tags: |

In the Mundargi sub-district of Karnataka, India, the village of Jantli Sirur is famous for its khowdis (quilts) - and the women who make them. A group of thirty women in the village stitch their famed designs using leftover cloth from tailors, creating distinctive color patterns and visual stories for quilts and table runners. Jantli Sirur is traditionally an agricultural village, but the changing climate has brought increasing drought and low yields. Quilting provides an alternative source of income for families, as well as being an artistic leisure activity for many of the women. While using recycled materials creates novel challenges, as the pieces are of different sizes and do not easily align, the skill of the quilters is palpable. Their method of upcycling shows what can be learned from a decades-old practice and returning to traditional crafts to promote a circular economy. 

14 12, 2022

Resurrecting climate-resilient rice in India

2025-07-29T22:57:17-04:00Tags: |

Climate-resilient farming practices are being strengthened by rice varieties that were selectively bred by ancient farmers. These traditional varieties offer enhanced food security in the face of accelerating climate change and increasingly irregular weather patterns, as many are capable of withstanding drought, flooding, and saltwater conditions. Rebecca George, the article’s author, is a journalist, activist, and documentary filmmaker who focuses on the impact of globalization on rural and Indigenous communities. For centuries, India’s local farmers were stewards of more than 100,000 distinct rice varieties adapted to the diverse bioclimates of the Indian subcontinent. These varieties were not only suited to local conditions, but also highly resilient and more nutritious, with higher levels of iron, zinc, and antioxidants. However, in the 1960s, India’s U.S.-backed Green Revolution introduced an agricultural model that promoted monocultures, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and new high-yielding varieties. This shift resulted in dramatic biodiversity loss and deepened debt crises for many rural farmers. Nutritious and climate-resilient rice varieties already exist, making it practical, ecological, and economically sensible to support their propagation. Patented, high-yield, and fortified crops are not equitable or sustainable solutions for smallholder farmers. Across India, local farmers, scientists, and activists are increasingly turning to agroecology to reclaim food sovereignty, improve nutrition, and build resilience in the face of a changing climate.

3 07, 2022

The Tiger Widows of India Conserving the Mangrove Forest

2023-03-29T13:46:33-04:00Tags: |

Geeta Mridha is among a group of tiger widows who are working to conserve India’s Sundarbans, the world’s largest contiguous mangrove forest. Although this forest is home to the tigers responsible for killing their husbands, this forest is also a natural ecological barrier from storm surges and has become a lifeline for these women. The women work to save the Sundari trees from extinction, and consequently, work to save themselves and their communities from cyclones and other severe weather events. Mridha expresses that she finds the work rewarding, with each planted seed potentially a life saved. Photo credit: Noah Klein

12 06, 2022

Inside the Indian Eco-School that Proves Sustainable Design doesn’t Scrimp on Style

2024-09-13T15:13:24-04:00Tags: |

In the heart of India's Thar desert, the Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls School stands as a beacon of sustainable design and educational empowerment. Designed by architect Diana Kellogg, this oval-shaped marvel not only shields its 400+ students from blistering temperatures and sandstorms but also symbolizes feminine strength and infinity. Powered by rooftop solar panels and cooled by geothermal energy, the school utilizes local materials and traditional techniques, offering a model of eco-conscious construction. Beyond its walls, the project envisions a community-centric approach, with plans for a Women’s Cooperative to impart vital skills to local artisans. This initiative exemplifies how sustainable design can seamlessly blend style, functionality, and social impact.

26 05, 2022

Indian Court Rules That Nature Has Legal Status on Par With Humans—and That Humans Are Required to Protect It

2026-03-26T00:27:12-04:00Tags: |

In April of 2022 the Madras High Court, located in the southeastern state of Tamil Nadu, India, ruled that “Mother Nature” has the same legal status as a human being, that the natural environment is part of the human right to life, and that humans have an environmental duty to future generations. This was reported in an article by Katie Surma, a reporter for Inside Climate News renowned for covering the Rights of Nature movement. The case was brought before the High Court on the petition of A. Periyakaruppan, a government official who had been forced to retire and lost part of his pension for deeding a tract of land in a protected forest in the Megamalai area to a private individual. Periyakaruppan said he was following the orders of a senior officer and asked the court to reverse his punishment as the deed had been corrected and the land remained protected. Justice S. Srimathy reduced the official’s punishment to a six-month suspension for “the act done against nature,” and in her decision invoked the legal concept of “parens patriae,” signifying that the government is responsible for acting as the legal guardian for those unable to act for themselves, including “Mother Earth.” In her opinion, Justice Srimathy criticized conventional environmental legal and policy principles such as sustainable development, the polluter pays, and the precautionary principle as being insufficient to protect the environment. The Madras High Court decision is significant as it is the latest judge-made law in India regarding the rights of nature.

15 03, 2022

The Lady With The Audiometer: Environmentalist Sumaira Abdulali’s Meticulous Fight Against Noise Pollution | Feminism in India

2024-09-16T10:57:53-04:00Tags: |

This article highlights the work of Sumaira Abdulali, an environmental activist from India known for her campaigns on noise pollution and sand mining. Abdulali frequently has an audiometer in her hand as she travels around Mumbai, taking note of how excessively high the noise reaches, especially during festivals. She founded the Awaaz Foundation, a public trust that aims to decrease noise pollution due to horns, firecrackers, construction activities, amongst other things. Thanks to her work, in 2016, the High Court created orders that significantly decreased noise pollution during festivals and celebrations across Mumbai. Abdulali also petitions against illegal sand mining and has been threatened, attacked, and intimidated by the sand mafia numerous times. One particular case, whereby Abdulali discovered illegal sand mining close to her own home, led to the Bombay High Court banning illegal sand mining along all coasts as well as to the banning of any sand extraction throughout the state of Maharashtra. In light of this event, Abdulali founded the Movement against Intimidation, Threat and Revenge against Activists (MITRA). Abdulali was also named the ‘Minister of Noise’ by press and government figures and has been awarded the Spikes Asia Silver Award for her dedicated work to noise pollution and sand mining lobbying.

16 02, 2022

A Year After Her Arrest, Indian Climate Activist Disha Ravi Is Still Not Free

2025-04-18T11:16:57-04:00Tags: |

A year after her arrest, Indian climate activist Disha Ravi remains entangled in legal constraints. In spite of this, her unwavering commitment to environmental advocacy remains undiminished. As a leading figure in India's Fridays For Future chapter, Ravi's journey into activism stems from her familial roots as the granddaughter of farmers, witnessing firsthand the struggle for water access in rural India and facing floods in her Bengaluru hometown. However, her ardent support for farmers' protests led to her arrest under charges of sedition, sparking international attention and debate on India's approach to dissent and climate justice. Ravi's case sheds light on the broader context of draconian laws like the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), which stifles peaceful expression and targets activists. Despite facing unjustified harassment and media scrutiny, Ravi remains resolute in her mission for climate justice, advocating for a transition away from coal dependency and urging global solidarity in the fight against climate change. As she continues her activism under stringent legal conditions, Ravi's story serves as a poignant reminder of the ongoing struggle for environmental protection and the imperative of collective action in fostering transformative change.

14 01, 2022

Kinkri Devi: An Inimitable Voice In Environmental Activism

2023-04-16T14:47:12-04:00Tags: |

Shawrina Salam highlights the courageous resistance of late Dalit Indian activist and environmentalist Kinkri Devi, who dedicated her life to fighting the extractive industries that devastated the land, water, and forests in her hometown. After witnessing the immense destruction that limestone quarrying inflicted on the local landscape, Devi began a campaign to raise awareness to the issue. In 1987, she filed a public interest lawsuit against 48 mining owners and won, successfully restricting the mining operations that had caused so much harm to the environment. By 1995, she was well-renowned across the globe, and she was invited to attend the International Women’s Conference in Beijing. She received the Jhansi Ki Rani Lakshmi Bai Stree Shakti Puraskar in 1999 and continued raising awareness as an environmental activist until her death in 2007. Photo credit: Flickr  

7 01, 2022

Soil – The Climate Fix That COP Forgot

2025-04-18T11:44:56-04:00Tags: |

In Andhra Pradesh, India, Vijay Kumar Thallam spearheads an innovative project aimed at helping six million farmers, predominantly women, transition to community-managed natural farming. This revolutionary approach eliminates chemical inputs, enhances agricultural productivity, and crucially, sequesters carbon from the atmosphere into the soil. Despite its demonstrated benefits for soil health, biodiversity, and climate resilience, these agroecological practices were notably overlooked during the discussions at COP26, highlighting a significant gap in prioritizing sustainable farming as a pivotal climate solution.

13 10, 2021

Climate Change in India: Teen Inventor’s Solar-Powered Ironing Cart

2025-04-09T23:18:07-04:00Tags: |

Vinisha Umashankar, a 14-year-old from Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, is making waves with her solar-powered ironing cart, earning her a spot as a finalist in the Clean Our Air category of The Earthshot Prize. Inspired by the harmful effects of charcoal used in traditional street irons, Vinisha set out to find a cleaner alternative. Her innovation not only eliminates the health hazards associated with charcoal but also combats deforestation. With the solar ironing cart, powered by five hours of sunshine for six hours of use, Vinisha aims to save trees, reduce air pollution, and combat climate change. Her passion for science and invention, sparked at the age of five by an encyclopedia gift, continues to drive her towards creating positive change, with plans to manufacture and distribute her invention affordably across Asia, Africa, and sunlit regions worldwide.

23 09, 2021

Caste and Climate Change

2025-03-27T16:37:46-04:00Tags: , , , , |

Caste-oppressed women in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal suffer from the silent violence of segregation and discrimination, putting them at extreme risk from the climate crisis. Dalits, members of the most oppressed caste, are more vulnerable to climate-related impacts because of their marginalized social position, the locations of their home in the periphery of communities, being historically limited to hazardous occupations, and lack of land rights. Dalit women are even more vulnerable. They are systematically excluded and oppressed, lagging in many human development markers, and lacking equal resources putting them at a higher chance of being subjected to multiple forms of violence. More than 15 Dalit women and girls are raped and sexually assaulted every day, as of what is reported. A woman’s caste position increases her risk of mortality due to a lack of sanitation and water. Dalit women die, on average, 14.6 years before dominant caste women. Climate change is exacerbating these existing vulnerabilities as resources, such as water, become scarce. In rural areas, the dominant castes are not allowing Dalit women to use government-provided hand pumps to access water, assaulting those who do amid a water crisis. Dalit women furthermore lack legal and community protection, making them extremely vulnerable to climate stressors.

9 09, 2021

Women & Circular Economy: Mainstreaming Gender Equity For Sustainability

2025-12-03T22:59:03-05:00Tags: , |

Dr. Reva Prakash and Dr. Katharina Paterok emphasize that a truly sustainable circular economy must integrate gender equity into its core. The circular economy aims to replace the wasteful linear model of 'take-make-dispose' with systems that regenerate resources and decouple growth from the use of finite materials. However, the authors argue that environmental and economic concerns alone are insufficient and that social dimensions must also shape this transition. Women play a vital yet often invisible role in sustainable practices, particularly in the informal sectors of waste management, agriculture and recycling, where they face precarious conditions and wage disparities. Traditional sustainability practices in India, such as repairing clothes or minimizing food waste, were largely sustained by women's unpaid labor which remains undervalued. There is a need for gender-responsive policies that recognize women as key agents of change. These policies should support women's formalization in green sectors, promote financial inclusion, and build leadership capacities. Initiatives such as SEWA in Gujarat, Hasirudala in Bangalore, and Swach in Pune demonstrate how women-led models can drive systemic change. Integrating gender equity into circular economic design is crucial for achieving environmental resilience and social justice.

6 07, 2021

Batting For Empowerment

2021-07-06T17:10:12-04:00Tags: |

The home textile conglomerate Welspun India has established a partnership with UN Women to empower women through skills-building initiatives in technical and entrepreneurial sectors. The collaboration aims to advocate for gender equality at the workplace, drive the agenda on equal pay, represent and leverage the role of women in leadership, as well as achieve a work environment free from harassment. CEO Dipali Goenka is hopeful that the partnership will enhance the quality of the workforce and provide skill development opportunities for women. The objective is to promote greater representation of women in leadership positions across corporate India. Evidence shows that introducing more women into the labour market would unlock trillions of dollars for developing economies. Photo credit: The Hans India

6 07, 2021

How Indoor Pollution Affects Women & Children

2021-07-06T17:01:25-04:00Tags: |

Indoor air quality and pollutants are today recognised as a potential source of health risks, with women and children being the main victims. While children’s physical characteristics make them more vulnerable to the effects of indoor health pollution with immediate and long-term health consequences, women in countries like India do all the cooking (with their children) and spend more time indoors. It is important to create awareness by educating people about the serious threat indoor pollution poses to health and well-being, in order to reduce exposure with better kitchen management and efforts to protect children. Photo credit: Chinky Shukla/ CSE

29 04, 2021

In Ahmedabad, India, Women Are Climate Leaders, Not Victims

2026-10-30T16:47:59-04:00Tags: |

In a slum in Ahmedabad, women are painting their roofs white or replacing them entirely with modular roofs made from recycled materials. These informal settlements are highly affected by extreme heat and flooding events. For many women, their homes are also their workplaces, yet historically, they have had few opportunities to participate in decision-making around the infrastructural vulnerabilities of these settlements. Vikasinis are changing this. Vikasinis are local women who train to become climate leaders in their communities. Their name can be translated to “she who blooms,” a reflection of how their knowledge spreads throughout their communities. They teach other women to become citizen scientists, documenting the environmental hazards that accompany monsoon seasons and heatwaves. In a political landscape where issues without numbers often go unheard, collecting data on breeding larvae and other water quality samples provides evidence of the climate vulnerabilities that Ahmedabad’s informal settlements are facing. Equipped with this data, women are advocating for infrastructure improvements and organizing community members to help implement green solutions, such as rainwater harvesting systems. Their work and voices were essential in developing the city’s Cool Roof Policy and Monsoon Action Plan. Through the Mahila Housing Trust, women are teaching each other the fundamentals of climate science, creating a space where they are not simply waiting for the next disaster, but are at the front lines of improving their city’s response to these climate emergencies. Vikasinis are uplifting their communities through a bottom-up effort, and their work has the potential to ripple across generations of women.

30 11, 2020

WE Recycle Circular Economy Empowers Marginalized Women

2025-03-10T00:01:30-04:00Tags: |

Women Empowerment Through Recycling, or WE Recycle, was set up in India by Renu Rao and Abhinav Gangumalla to recondition recyclable materials into usable and practical products. The company aims to uplift women by offering them employment and skills in sustainable production and living. These women live in the slums of Hyderabad, but this economic opportunity has given many of them greater hopes of financial independence. Many have been able to secure funds to go towards educating their daughters and disrupting cycles of poverty, paving the way for better futures for generations to come. The products the women make range from decorative lamps to coasters, bags, and candle holders. All of the items showcase traditional design elements while also displaying innovation in the use of upcycled materials.

23 10, 2020

Bija Devi : Navdanya’s Seed Keeper of 16 Years At The Biodiversity Conservation Farm

2020-10-23T22:52:30-04:00Tags: |

In an effort to push back against large agriculture corporations and establish seed sovereignty among local communities, renowned scientist Dr. Vandana Shiva and farmer Bija Devi collect seeds and run education programs at the Navdanya Biodiversity Farm in Uttarakhand, India. Bija has collected over 1500 varieties of seeds and details her seed collecting methods and practices throughout the video. Dr. Shiva argues that as the keepers of life, women need to be collecting seeds and leading the fight for food sovereignty. In critiquing capitalist corporations she explains there are only two options for the future: a woman-led “living” future or a corporation-led “toxic” future. Photo Credit: Seed Freedom

27 08, 2020

COVID-19 warriors: How a woman in a tribal village shared vegetables from her kitchen garden

2024-09-13T15:44:30-04:00Tags: |

Krishna Mawasi is a farmer and resident of Kailhora village in central India’s Madhya Pradesh's Satna district. Living in an area with high malnutrition rates, she was motivated during the COVID-19 lockdown to share produce from her kitchen garden with those in need. The initiative quickly gained traction, with 15 families relying on her garden for food, and many others from neighboring villages also benefiting. Mawasi's kitchen garden, established five years ago as part of a malnutrition management project, inspired others in similar situations to share their produce for free, providing locally grown and nutritious food to malnourished children, pregnant women, and the elderly. In total, 232 families shared over 4 tonnes of vegetables with 425 families across several districts; the project has gained attention from state authorities, leading to further support and development for the village.

27 04, 2019

How The Tree-Hugging Movement Got Started In A Small Indian Village

2021-01-27T20:32:06-05:00Tags: |

  On March 26, 1973, a young girl spotted loggers heading towards Gopeshwar forest near the small village of Reni, in Uttarakhand. The village advisor, Gaura Devi, recruited 300 village women to hug trees in the forest and physically prevent their deforestation. As large corporations attempted to log near other rural villages, the local women hugged the trees, drawing inspiration from the events at Reni. The movement soon earned the title of the “Chipko andolan,” meaning the “stick-to movement.” Finding its roots in the 1730 Indian tree revolt, and using guiding principles from the Gandhian philosophy of self-sufficiency and self-sustenance, the woman-led Chipko Movement serves as a precursor for modern environmentalism. Photo Credit: Sanjeev Verma/Hindustan Times via Getty

15 04, 2019

Upcycling Old Jeans Into Funky Bags, Mantra Of This Mumbai Woman Who Gave A Spin To 2,500 Denims

2025-03-10T00:02:50-04:00Tags: |

Soumya Annapurna Kalluri is a trained mechanical engineer who has used her practical skills and experience to reduce waste. Her startup, Dwij, translates to ‘a new lease of life,’ and so far has recycled over 3,000 pairs of thrown-out jeans into various fashion accessories, such as bags and clutches. The choice of recycling denim arose not only from the benefits of the strong fabric, but also due to the desire to avoid the extra waste that arises when denim is treated as trash—such as the 1,000 liters of water that goes into a single pair of jeans. Dwij also seeks to centralize the work of each individual tailor in its product marketing, valuing their skill and designs. Starting with a small investment of Rs 6 lakh, Dwij has now sold over 2,500 products from reused denims, and Soumya plans to expand into different types of products and employ more tailors. The end goal is to spread societal and consumer awareness around the benefits of sustainable, upcycled fashion and to help people become more responsible for what they throw away.

13 04, 2019

A Queer, Female Entrepreneur Is Taking Back Turmeric For Indian Farmers

2020-10-23T23:02:04-04:00Tags: |

Sana Javeri Kadri, a queer immigrant woman of colour, is challenging colonial trade practices with her Oakland-based company, Diaspora Co. Her company aims to support sustainable agricultural practices within the turmeric industry, provide fair compensation to Indian farmers (above ten times the market price), and empower marginalized communities. Diaspora Co. sources their turmeric from Kasaraneni Prabhu, a fourth-generation turmeric farmer working in Southeast India who uses traditional pest control methods involving companion crops. Javeri Kadri also hires queer, especially those of colour, whenever possible aiming to be radically inclusive in order to counter the social injustices and inequities prevalent in the food industry. Photo credit: Elazar Sontag

3 10, 2018

Hamari Roti, Hamari Aazadi Our Bread, Our Freedom: Diverse Women Of The World Resolve To Defend Biological And Cultural Diversity, Through Non-violence, Love And Friendship

2020-11-07T17:26:57-05:00Tags: |

Women in India have re-initiated a movement called ‘Our Bread, Our Freedom’ (Hamari Roti, Hamari Azaadi), in efforts to counter the corporate food system driven by new East India Companies which has led to an epidemic of farmer suicides and varying health issues.  Diverse Women for Diversity aim to reveal the pseudo food safety regulations and fake knowledge surrounding nutritionally empty and toxic food. The movement builds alternatives to the monoculture of chemical farming and through bread, reclaim not only their freedom but also their historical and cultural knowledge in producing diverse foods. In Doon Valley on the 2nd of October 2018 women gathered from 25 regions in India to cook breads typical to their state, including roti from Uttarakhand, Sathuu from Bihar and rice flour chila from Chhatisgarh. They pledge to rejuvenate their local cultures, cleanse from within as well as keep clean their external environment, spread food and nutrition literacy, and build sustainable food economies grounded in social justice, non-violence, and love. Photo Credit: Unknown

4 08, 2018

Trees Fight Female Feticide

2023-03-29T13:49:46-04:00Tags: |

In the Northern Indian village of Piplantri, parents have been planting 111 trees every time a female is born since 2007. A way to fight against sex-selective abortion, this action makes a statement on female equality while simultaneously benefiting the local community with a fortified ecosystem. In turn, the trees are treated like children themselves, as they are cared for and nurtured by villagers. Photo Credit: Gizmodo Earth And Science

2 05, 2018

75% Of World’s Seeds Are Preserved By Small Farmers, Mostly Women

2019-04-13T16:23:35-04:00Tags: |

Lim Li Ching’s new report on agroecology highlights the crucial role small women farmers play in preserving indigenous varieties or landraces of main food crops. However, their role expands beyond the preservation of indigenous seeds, and women also process, distribute, and market food, as well as act as key holders of knowledge around seeds, agricultural biodiversity, and agroecology technologies. Parul Begum knew that indigenous strains of rice would result in higher yields in West Bengal and Manisha in Haryana’s Nidana village in Jind used carnivorous pests, as opposed to a chemical alternative, to handle the crop destruction caused by harmful pests. These women play a significant role in smallholder systems which also provide over half of the planet’s food calories. Despite their valuable role, women face issues in legal ownership of land and access to resources such as land, seeds, or technologies, due to the gender bias that exists in agriculture. Lim Li Ching argues that empowering women, especially with regards to land ownership which consequently opens access to government schemes and resources, can lead to improved food security and health. Photo credit: Vikas Choudhary

25 04, 2018

Climate Change Is Destroying Women’s Lives In Alwar

2020-09-02T21:10:11-04:00Tags: |

Alwar, a semi-arid region in between the Capital of India and Capital of Rajasthan, is facing a severe water crisis especially in the villages of Ramgarh and Bheror blocks. Raziya Begum, a woman farmer of Ramgarh Block, is telling researchers about the kind of discrimination women face, and how climate change is further adding to gender disparity in rural areas. Similarly, Shima ji of the same block pointed to the extra burden on women due to their household and agricultural labor. More women work in agriculture, yet many lack the knowledge of farming techniques that are resistant to climate change. Additionally, women work longer hours than men, sometimes waking up at 3 am to wait for their turn to gather water from a well. Low rainfall and the depletion of groundwater for agriculture has made  water a scarce resource, adding to the stressors already placed on women. Cultural norms legitimize this gender inequality in India, putting women on the receiving end of violence and negative impact of climate change. Photo Credit: Koushik Hore

13 04, 2018

How indoor pollution affects women and children

2025-05-24T19:05:41-04:00Tags: |

Indoor air quality and pollutants are recognized as significant health risks, particularly affecting women and children who spend about 90% of their time indoors and are more likely to come into contact with cleaning products. Children are especially vulnerable due to their higher oxygen consumption rates and narrower airways, enhancing risk for respiratory, immune, and nervous system issues, as well as allergic disorders such as asthma. Women in India face high exposure to indoor pollutants due to traditional cooking practices, leading to respiratory infections, lung cancer, and other health issues. Prevention through awareness and education is crucial, along with improved kitchen management and cleaner indoor air. Stakeholders, including the public and policymakers, must commit to addressing the health effects of indoor air pollution and their disproportionate social and health impact on women and children.

8 03, 2018

Defeminisation Of Indian Agriculture

2020-09-02T23:19:40-04:00Tags: |

Women in India hold significant but overlooked roles in agriculture. The Census of India (2011) reveals nearly 98 million women have agricultural jobs. Due to decreasing economic opportunities in rural areas, young people and men are moving to urban areas, leaving women behind to farm. To recognize the importance of female farmers, the government of India declared October 15th as Rashtriya Mahila Kisan Diwas (National Female Farmer Day). This is a great step forward given women have been historical left out of agricultural narratives. The way forward is to give land rights to women while strengthening the existing government policies for female farmers in India. Photo Credit: Vikas Choudhary

8 03, 2018

Women Are Overburdened With Unpaid Work Everywhere Across The Globe

2019-01-21T21:42:59-05:00Tags: |

Unpaid domestic work is a burden on Indian women who are leaving formal work spaces to fulfill household duties. This unpaid labor, and women’s interests in general, are often left out of policy discussions, notes Ritu Dewan, Indian feminist economist. Jayati Ghosh, another economist, notes that women perform much more domestic work than men, leading to what is called time poverty. Action Aid, an international non-profit organization in Ghana, models and quantifies unpaid work, defining four main areas: unpaid care work, climate resistant sustainable agriculture, access to markets and violence against women. Time use surveys have led to legislation changes that can better distribute household duties. In Uruguay, for example, the state is responsible for providing care, freeing up more paid and leisure time for women.  Photo Credit: Vikas Choudhary

10 01, 2018

Denied Land, Indian Women Stake Claims In Collectives

2018-07-13T16:22:51-04:00Tags: |

Standing up against local officials denying their right to land, 40 women from the village of Pallur in India’s state of Tamil Nadu have taken matters into their own hands, forming a collective and farming on a local plot of land. Led by resident Shakila Kalaiselvan, the collective is made up of Dalits, a social caste that has traditionally suffered discrimination. While prejudice against Dalits has been banned in the state of Tamil Nadu, ill-treatment persists, with about two-thirds remaining landless. This categorization added with their gender status has created a simultaneous strand of discrimination – to which the women of Pallur will not tolerate. In response to land denial, last year, the collective transformed an unused 2.5-acre (1 hectare) plot from overgrown weed to a plot of beans, corn, and millet. And the work has only just begun. While the group was opposed by upper-caste men and local officials, the women have inspired a second collective of 40 women plans to clear another 2.5 acres of common land in the near future. Picture Credit: Thomson Reuters Foundation/Rina Chandran

2 01, 2018

2025-03-27T17:04:01-04:00Tags: |

A new study claims that women in rural communities possess particular necessary knowledge and skills to address climate change risks. This study assessed the role of individual women in dealing with climatic risk, looking specifically at agriculture, energy, and nutrition in flood and drought prone areas of eastern India. The study found that women’s participation was high in farm-related tasks and that women tended to exchange knowledge and resources in the absence of government interventions. Many women had unique mechanisms to stave off hunger and preserve nutrition during months with known food scarcity issues. Women in particularly arid areas also had vast knowledge of non-agricultural food sources, such as leaves and stems of year round plants. These informal networks, that exist all over the world, can be used as channels for targeting climate adaptation policies and programs. The study suggests that if women’s groups become the focal points of knowledge and resource dissemination in situations impacted and exacerbated by climate change, there is a high chance the resources will be shared more openly.

5 12, 2017

Women Who Have Been Tortured For The Environment

2023-04-16T14:56:17-04:00Tags: |

In this article, Rohit David describes the increased violence against women activists and earth defenders – perpetrated by both state and nonstate actors – in 2017. As women continue to speak up against major polluters who are responsible for destroying their lands, forests, waters, and food sovereignty, they face great risks of harassment, threats, intimidation, sexual assault, and assassination. At the 2017 United Nations environment assembly in Nairobi, women’s rights organizations held a tribute ceremony to highlight the important role of women human rights defenders in securing a safe, ecologically intact, pollution-free future at the local and international levels. The women who spoke at this event aimed to raise awareness of the work that women are doing in their communities to protect the environment and the dangers they face in doing so. 

16 11, 2017

Remembering Latha Anantha

2026-03-26T00:59:51-04:00Tags: |

Latha Anantha, an Indian river activist who consistently fought for the unimpeded flow of rivers, passed away in 2017. Throughout her life, Latha elevated the idea of restoring a river’s natural pulse, or environmental flows, and fought to keep Kerala’s Chalakudi River free from the proposed Athirapally Dam. She consulted at high levels, trained activists, and advocated for sensible policies for rivers, people, and wildlife. Latha fundamentally believed in the healing power of nature and the importance of staying connected to the natural environment, as she saw that humanity’s connection to nature as something that we as a species are losing. In addition to her love and care for rivers, Latha had a special interest in how women were affected by dams. At the third international meeting of dam-affected peoples in Mexico in 2010, she organized a women’s session that led to an entire issue of the World Rivers Review focusing on women, rivers, and dams. Former World River Reviews editor Lori Pottinger wrote that “Latha could make anyone feel loved and special – she just flowed with a spirit that was so positive and knowing. I’ve never met anyone who was so attuned to rivers as Latha. I will miss her!!”

6 11, 2017

This Tribal Lady And Her Band Of Women Saved 50 Hectares Of Forests For 20 Years

2018-10-17T18:02:17-04:00Tags: |

Raksha Bandhan, a hindu festival celebrating the bond between brother and sister has inspired women in Muturkham, Jharkhand to protect their forests. In 1998, when Jamuna Tudu, also known as ‘Lady Tarzan’, noticed large areas of clearcut forest she began to speak out. She managed to organize Van Suraksha Samiti, a band of 25 women fortified with bows and arrows, bamboo sticks and spears to tackle the enemies of their forest. After driving out the mafia cutting down their forests, the women began tying the ‘knot of protection’, around the trees. Stemming from the Hindu festival of Raksha Bandhan, the knot symbolizes the love between brothers and sisters, where a sister ties a rakhi (holy thread) on the wrist of her brother to ward off evil and in turn, he vows to protect her until death. The rakhi around the trees symbolizes that these women will protect their trees until death. Photo Credit: YouTube

26 10, 2017

Women In Odisha Village Take Charge To Fast Track Community Forest Rights

2018-08-24T17:23:18-04:00Tags: |

In October 2017, women of Kaptapally, Nayagarh district, Odisha opened a Forest Rights Information centre to spread awareness about the Forest Rights Act (FRA). The centre will support traditional forest dwellers and aid in the process of granting Community Forest Rights (CFR) in the district. Usharani, president of the committee, explains that the centre promotes self-sufficiency, substance economies, self-rule and local governance. Women in this area have a long history of protecting forests and a similar centre has opened in Dengajhari village of the Ranpur block, where women have fought to conserve their forests for 40 years. Photo credit: Forest Rights Information centre, Kaptapally

20 10, 2017

Women Farmers Are Leading Northern India From Subsistence To Regeneration

2020-09-02T22:54:54-04:00Tags: |

The increasing feminization of agriculture is an expanding market for women farmers in northern India. They are organizing themselves in self help groups and cooperatives such as Aarohi, Chirag and Mahila Umang (one of largest cooperatives in Uttrakhand) by helping each other to bear financial expenses. These cooperatives promote the traditional way of agriculture in nearby states like Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya along the restoring the hills by reforestation. In most of these states, men and young people have moved to urban areas. So, now the women who are left behind are creating balance between the rural economy and ecology, says Kalyan Paul, co-founder of Pan Himalayan Grassroots Development Foundation in Almora, Uttrakhand. Photo Credit: Esha Chhabra

16 10, 2017

Seeds of Resilience: An Update From Women Seed Savers In India

2017-10-25T22:27:29-04:00Tags: |

Women of Karnataka, South India, in collaboration with the Women’s Earth Alliance Seeds of Resilience project, are taking action to protect local agricultural seed biodiversity and intergenerational knowledge systems, as another path in the face of pervasive and heavily polluting and exploitative industrial agriculture developments in the Western Ghats region. As women grow their knowledge and a network of women engaging in seed stewardship and sustainable traditional farming practices, they also grow in micro-finance management skills, leadership skills, and empowerment. Photo credit: Vanastree

26 09, 2017

Indigenous Women’s Struggles To Oppose State-Sponsored Deforestation In Chhattisgarh, India

2017-12-26T16:23:45-05:00Tags: |

Koriya District situated in North West corner of Chhattisgarh, India is a historically densely forested area where the Indigenous population has always depended on the forest ecosystems to earn their livelihoods. Over the past decade, the natural forests have been replaced with teak plantations, and in response, AAS, an organization of local Indigenous women, has taken action to challenge the state to revoke policies of transforming natural forest into commercially cultivated forests, and to try and secure forest rights and justice for the Indigenous communities of the region. Photo Credit: Oxfam

8 09, 2017

Amplifying The Voices Of Indigenous People Through The Lens Of Women

2017-10-12T14:07:05-04:00Tags: |

In a keynote address to commemorate International Women’s Day, journalist Monalisa Changkija explored how the environment becomes feminised in discourses of the environment. She outlined the stemming gender disparities between men and women’s obligation to the environment and how Indigenous women are the most at risk. She refers to the increasing difficulty of seed sovereignty, and the unpredictability of climate change and its impacts upon women farmers and agriculture in Northeastern and Himalayan states. She proceeds to comment on how systemic imbalance sidelines Indigenous women from important discussions in government issues.

26 08, 2017

Equality In Dissent

2017-08-26T12:53:11-04:00Tags: |

When the state government of Uttarakhand proposed construction of the Desvari dam, a 252-megawatt hydropower project on the Pinder River, residents of Chepdu village were worried: blasting through rock in an already flood-prone seismic zone would put the lives and livelihoods of 20,000 people at risk. While some men in the community obtained contract work from the construction company, making them partisan to the project, women like Bilma Joshi stood strong, organizing their community to demand their statutory rights and oppose a project that would all but destroy the Pinder River. Photo Credit: Matu Jan Sanghathan

23 08, 2017

How An Environmental Activist Became A Pioneer For Climate Justice In India

2018-01-23T20:10:25-05:00Tags: |

Sunita Narain, an environmental activist and Director of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), India shares powerful analysis on the responsibility that wealthy countries have to take action to address their liability for global climate impacts, which is unjustly impacting citizens of ‘developing’ and low-income nations. She calls for climate justice, and for the Indian government to grow the country in a manner that relies on sustainability and equity, instead of copying western development mechanisms that bring harm. Photo credit: Centre for Science and Environment

14 08, 2017

A Look At Land Rights For Women Farmers In India

2017-11-06T12:02:38-05:00Tags: |

Women’s Earth Alliance recognizes the importance and the majority of women farmers in India. However, they are not recognized or protected by law in many places in India. This is because religious laws and cultural practices hinder and discriminate against women’s ownership of land. When women own land, it is beneficial overall to themselves, their families, and crop production; they have more security and are able to acquire loans to invest in their households’ needs, such as nutritious food and education, among many other benefits. Read to know more about how to diminish vulnerability and insecurity by empowering female farmers. Photo credit: Express Photo/Prashant Ravi

11 08, 2017

First Public Preview Of Land And Lens Photographs

2017-10-27T21:09:04-04:00Tags: |

The Women's Earth Alliance launched a project called the Seeds of Resilience Project in March 2017, with the partnership of Vanastree, a woman farmers’ seed saving collective in India. As part of the project, photography training with community members took place, with the purpose of storytelling, called Lands and Lens. In this preview can be found the work of nine women from rural India who were training through this initiative. Photo credit: Women's Earth Alliance

1 08, 2017

Widows In India Denied The Right To Own Land

2017-11-01T23:51:56-04:00Tags: |

Women are often denied the right to own land, even though they work on it more than men. Nearly three quarters of rural women in India depend on land for their livelihoods, compared to about 60 percent of rural men, as lower farm incomes push many men to the cities for jobs. Women face numerous legal and social hurdles to owning land, in addition to the social bias against being widow, especially in rural areas. With more than 46 million widows, India has the highest number of widows in the world. Photo credit: Reuters

23 07, 2017

Women Of India Up In Arms Against Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership

2018-01-23T17:48:54-05:00Tags: |

Women from all over India marched and protested together  in Hyderabad, in opposition to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. This partnership is based on destructive model of development which violates the rights of farmers, dalits, land rights, Indigenous women, minorities, fisherwomen, labour rights and more. Burnad Fatima, member of Federation of Women Farmers Rights, Tamil Nadu describes how this mega free trade agreement will affect the women through impacts on land rights, migration and trafficking. Similarly, Albertina Almeida and Kate Lappin from Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development express deep concerns about the trade agreement.

2 07, 2017

Women’s Mosque Goes Solar In India’s Clean Energy Push

2017-09-28T21:04:33-04:00Tags: |

The Ambar Mosque, a women-led faith center recognized for the promotion of women’s rights, recently installed solar panels in hopes of inspiring the adoption of renewable technology across the state of Uttar Pradesh. The spread of solar technology is making the cost of solar energy more competitive when compared to coal, thanks to the pioneering women at the Ambar Mosque. Photo credit: Climate Home

2 07, 2017

Landless And Widowed Women In South India Bear Brunt Of Drought

2017-11-02T00:09:36-04:00Tags: |

Kavita, a landless widowed woman in rural southern India, works tirelessly to overcome the debt her husband left unpaid. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have land of her own, which makes her ineligible for government aids or loans. Such limited access to the land she works on not only limits her economic empowerment and ownership, but also hinders her ability to stand up against gender-based violence as well. The percentage of women who own land in rural India is just about 13%. Photo credit: Reuters

27 06, 2017

When Women Have Equal Rights The Tide Turns

2017-10-27T16:11:19-04:00Tags: |

In Meghalaya, where Indigenous Indian societies are matrilineal and women inherit land and decide what is grown on it, communities not only have a strong climate-tolerant food system, but they also grow some of the rarest, medicinal and edible plants in the world. These women in northeastern India are proving that when women are treated as equal and have equal land rights under the law, they shine as leaders in sustainable development and policy. Photo credit: Manipadma Jena

26 06, 2017

Afghan Women Refugees Resurrected As India’s Plastic Waste Warriors

2017-10-26T00:21:03-04:00Tags: |

Farah Naz is one of five Afghan refugee women who is not only battling traditional gender roles by working, but also becoming an unlikely fighter against plastic waste pollution in New Delhi, India. Through Project Patradya, a  business initiative, she is employed to produce and supply edible bowls, cups and cutlery for cafes, restaurants and parlors as an alternative to non-biodegradable plastics utensils. The idea is to also have training in sales and marketing, empowering women to run their own recycling business within three years.

12 06, 2017

India’s Largest Collection Of Rural Folk Music Contains Over 10,000 Songs That Women Sing While Grinding Grain

2017-09-04T12:21:19-04:00Tags: |

Before sunrise in Pune, India, women in the group Garīb Dhongarī Sangatnā, or “Collective of the Poor of the Mountain,” can be found singing at the grain mills, where they work grinding grain into flour. For these women, singing while simultaneously producing a staple Indian food empowers the collective feminine voice. Lyrics deal with subjects of cast, religion, political movements and mythology as an act of female resistance to the impoverishment that India’s rural communities face. The Grindmill Songs Project (part of PARI-- People’s Archives of Rural India) is collecting and translating these songs, and has already published over 10,000 of them on their website so the world can listen these Pune female movement voices sing. Photo credit: PARI (People’s Archives of Rural India)

1 06, 2017

Reflective Paint Helps Women In Slums Combat Extreme Heat Caused By Climate Change

2017-11-01T23:49:26-04:00Tags: |

Climate change-induced heatwaves are increasing across India, endangering millions of lives and livelihoods. In response, groups such as the Mahila Housing Trust, are working with women in 100 slums across five cities to experiment with low-cost approaches to cooling homes using reflective paint and other simple methods to reduce the direct impacts being felt by marginalized and impoverished residents. Photo Credit: Mahila Housing Trust, Pixabay

17 05, 2017

Solar Energy Brings A Ray Of Hope To Salt Farmers In Gujarat

2017-09-29T15:22:14-04:00Tags: |

In Gujarat, India, women typically set aside 40% of their household income to buy diesel to power salt-producing pumps. A program designed by the Natural Resources Defense Council and India’s Self Employed Women’s Association has improved access to solar-powered pumps. The new technology has proven to be less expensive and more accessible and, as a result, many women and their families now have a more reliable source of income. Photo credit: Ahmad Masood/Reuters

9 05, 2017

Seeds Of Resilience Project Kicks Off Storytelling Initiative For Women And Youth

2017-10-16T17:53:57-04:00Tags: |

Vanastree, in partnership with the Women’s Earth Alliance, launched the Seeds of Resilience project, aimed at women and youth. The project is training participants to use cameras and other devices to record and transfer traditional knowledge on seeds and food. In preparation for the course, the organizers developed a curriculum to train these women on photography; many of them had never used a camera before. Photo credit: Vanastree

7 05, 2017

In 70 Days, 700 People Brought A Dead River Back To Life

2017-10-31T20:35:35-04:00Tags: |

The Kuttemperoor River in South Kerala’s Alappuzha district, formerly a vibrant and healthy ecosystem, was slowly destroyed over the years by illegal sand mining and the dumping of raw sewage. Recently, 700 local people, mostly women, took it upon themselves to restore the river by spending 70 days cleaning out the toxic waste of weeds, plastic and other pollutants. Bolstered by frequent drought that had put a huge strain on the available water sources and the slow action from the government, this group of earth defenders successfully revived their river. Photo credit: Vivek Nair

28 04, 2017

Himalayan Glaciers Granted Status Of Living Entities

2017-10-28T23:03:48-04:00Tags: |

An Indian court has recognized Himalayan glaciers, lakes and forests as "legal persons," weeks after it granted similar status to the country's two most sacred rivers, Ganga and Yamuna. The decision aims to strengthen environmental protection by granting rights equivalent to the rights of human beings so that any injury or harm caused to the glaciers will be treated as injury or harm caused to human beings. The court also extended the status of "living entity" to swathes of the Himalayan environment, including waterfalls, meadows, lakes and forests. Photo credit: Phys.org

24 04, 2017

Climate Threats Drive India’s ‘Tiger Widows’ Toward Open Jaws

2018-01-24T11:33:28-05:00Tags: |

Geeta Mridha is a widow whose husband was killed by a tiger while fishing in the backwaters of Sundarbans National Park, India. His death was part of an increase in incidents with tigers and other animals as a result of erosion and loss of the coastal mangroves and lands due to climate change. Women like Geeta are blamed by society for the increasing hardships, poverty and land loss of their families across the region.

30 03, 2017

Climate Change And Conflict: Manipuri Women Are Fighting For Survival On Two Fronts

2017-11-01T05:07:58-04:00Tags: |

The territory of Manipur has been turbulent since British colonization of India, leaving thousands of women widows and survivors of armed violence. Manipuri women have a long history of confronting injustices, sexual violence and power, despite their vulnerable situation living in a militarised and climate change affected area with multiple losses to many small farmers. Groups such as the Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network and the Rural Women’s Upliftment Society fight against such vulnerability by offering counseling and support, and also by teaching Indigenous women such as Lalzamien how to use ecological and biodiverse farming methods as a way of reversing climate change. Not only that, but many Indigenous women’s groups, and activists such as Mary Beth Sanate and Shangnaidar Tontang fight for seats and female representatives in various decision-making, peacebuilding and negotiation forums. Photo credit: Rucha Chitnis

28 03, 2017

Indian Court Gives Sacred Ganges And Yamuna Rivers Human Status

2017-10-28T23:02:13-04:00Tags: |

The high court in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand gave the Ganges and Yamuna rivers the status of living human entities and argued that this will contribute to the preservation and conservation of the highly polluted rivers. From now on, polluting the rivers will amount to harming a human being. The rivers provide water to half of India’s population, but they had become polluted due to industrialisation and rapid urbanisation. Moreover, two top state officials have been appointed as the legal guardians of the rivers and will represent their rights. Photo credit: Getty Images

22 03, 2017

Fetching Water Is A Woman’s Responsibility In This Arid Rajasthan Village

2017-09-03T20:59:35-04:00Tags: |

Women from the hamlet of Khadero ki Dhani in Rajasthan’s Thar Desert travel up to a kilometer several times a day to draw water from the only water-yielding “beri,” or traditional well in the village. The long dry seasons and water scarcity has trained these women to manage the water sustainably. The women of the region are taking action every day to ensure their precious resource is not abused, such as not taking showers for periods or feeding less water to the animals. Photo credit: Raj Kumar Singh

20 03, 2017

Songs Of Fetching Water

2017-09-03T20:46:19-04:00Tags: |

In the Budaun district of Uttar Pradesh, India, the Dheemar people sing many songs that center around women going to fetch water from a well. For these women, singing while simultaneously fetching water empowers the collective feminine voice. Songs of fetching water are metaphors for following one’s inner voice or rising above conventional morality. The powerful imagery of women collecting water from wells is often highlighted in Indian mythology and devotional songs. Photo credit: Imran Zaib

10 03, 2017

Grandmother Of The Jungle: Kerala Tribal Woman Can Prepare 500 Medicines From Memory

2017-10-05T17:39:02-04:00Tags: |

Lakshmikutty, “grandmother” of the Kallar jungle from Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala, is a well-known healer, poet and teacher at the Kerala Folklore Academy. She has a vast knowledge of around 500 herbal and natural treatments which is now being recorded by the Kerala Forest Department in the form of a book. She has been awarded the Nattu Vaidya Rathna, an award for naturopathy in 1995 and from the Indian Biodiversity Congress 2016. Photo credit: Sreekesh Raveendran Nair

5 03, 2017

Indian Women Worst Hit By Water Crisis

2017-09-03T20:40:54-04:00Tags: |

Rising population, pollution and the intense competition between water users has resulted in a water crisis in many parts of India. As primary stakeholders in water resource management, women make up the majority of the 330 million people bearing the brunt of severe drought, acute water shortages and agricultural distress. In the face of many threats however, Dr. Ranjana Kumari, director of the Centre for Social Research, a New Delhi-based think tank argues that efforts to bolster women’s rights and access to information and training continue to provide hope. Photo Credit: Neeta Lal/IPS

27 01, 2017

Stewards Of Culture And Biodiversity: Women’s Voices From The Northeast

2017-10-27T00:05:14-04:00Tags: |

The northeast region of India is wealthy when it comes to biodiversity. Women from the area are leading the way in the preservation of their agro-biodiverse lands. Seno Tsuhah, a project team leader who encourages environmental protection and human rights, and Mary Beth Sanate, an Indigenous woman who works on matters of gender, food, livelihood and customary rights, and other incredible women are doing their part for environmental justice. Photo credit: Rucha Chitnis

27 01, 2017

Malnad Mela, A Biodiversity Festival Founded By Women

2017-10-27T00:03:38-04:00Tags: |

Malnad Mela, an Indian biodiversity festival, started when Kamala, a farmer from the Malnad region, donated seeds to a seed exchange. The initiative started a community of women farmers called Vanastree, Kanada for “forest women.” A few years after that, their action grows into what became the biodiversity fair, where women exchange experiences and advice about seed conservation, biodiversity and sustainable farming. Photo credit: The Economic Times

1 11, 2016

Dr.Vandana Shiva On The Importance Of Women Eco-Warriors

2017-11-01T00:34:12-04:00Tags: |

Dr. Vandana Shiva is a world renowned eco-feminist, intellectual and champion of food sovereignty for millions of small-holder, peasant and Indigenous farmers, most of them women from across the world. While women have long been experts and custodians of knowledge about our ecosystems, colonization and patriarchy have worked to both commodify this knowledge and women’s life-sustaining work. Drawing from decades within movements such as the historic Chipko movement in the central Himalayan region, Vandana’s writes about how there is no ecological justice without gender justice.

5 10, 2016

Women Farmers Are Taking The Lead On Climate Change Adaptation

2017-10-31T12:11:53-04:00Tags: |

As women shoulder the burden of harmful effects of climate change, female farmers in India are learning climate-smart agricultural practices. Two organizations are collaborating to develop a project to promote the adoption of climate-smart practices among female smallholder farmers and assist them in keeping records to manage their farms with more efficiency. On behalf of the female farmers, the organizations are advocating for policy-makers to address recommendations based on conservative agriculture. Photo credit: V. Shwanatha

22 08, 2016

Empower Women To Tackle Energy Poverty In India

2017-09-28T20:51:09-04:00Tags: |

In rural India, women are in charge of supplying energy for their households, as they are the ones who collect wood and buy kerosene. As a result, women are most affected by the lack of access to energy, as energy and poverty are highly correlated in India. Aneri Patel, a young entrepreneur who founded ENVenture, an incubator for local organizations working on clean energy businesses, explains how programs that address poverty have been emphasizing gender-sensitive approaches to stimulate off-grid renewable energy access. Photo credit: Michael Bennet

26 06, 2016

Does Nature Need Space In Our Cities? Study Of Bengaluru’s Ecology Offers Answers

2017-12-26T16:02:57-05:00Tags: |

Harini Nagendra, an ecologist by training and professor of Sustainability at Azim Premji University in Bengaluru, has been studying biodiversity and ecology of different public spaces for the past decade. In her new book, ‘Nature in the City; Bengaluru in the Past, Present and Future’, she takes her readers on an ecological journey of Bengaluru from an agricultural center to ‘concrete-ization’. She writes of the remnants of nature’s hotspots in the city and the deep bond between slum dwellers and nature. The book highlights the works of remarkable individuals and movements that are fighting for the rights of nature and saving Bengaluru from being grasped by the silent killer, ‘concrete-ization’. Photo credit: Harini Nagendra

6 06, 2016

India’s Tireless Anti-Nuclear Protesters

2017-07-17T21:54:48-04:00Tags: |

Celine, 73 years old, was one of five fisherwomen who went on a relay hunger strike to protest the expansion of a nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu state. Her people have been resisting nuclear power in their communities since the 1980’s. When asked, the women say they don’t oppose science, as their adversaries like to claim, but oppose the danger the plant would pose to millions of people - and the millions that would go to foreign corporations, instead of domestic energy grids. Photo credit: K. Vigneshwaran

23 05, 2016

Why Land Means Hope For India’s Single Women

2017-07-20T16:56:48-04:00Tags: |

Single women like Kuni Majhi, who are often the most vulnerable and overlooked members of Indian society, are taking advantage of a local initiative in Mayurbhary in the country’s Eastern State of Odisha. The initiative is challenging gender stereotypes and granting land and shelter to women living alone. Photo credit: Thomas Reuters Foundation

12 05, 2016

Women’s Wisdom Crucial To Beating Climate Change, Researcher Says

2017-10-14T16:03:43-04:00Tags: |

Researcher Virginie Le Mason, of the Overseas Development Institute, says involving women in decision-making is sometimes viewed as slowing down and complicating processes, but their views are crucial to dealing with climate change. Photo credits: Atlantis Images/Shutterstock.com

20 04, 2016

How These Women Beat All Odds, Dug A 20-Foot-Deep Well And Solved Their Village’s Water Crisis

2017-09-20T20:24:42-04:00Tags: |

A group of twenty determined women from the Kalikavu village near the Malappuram district of Kerala, working through the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, are solving their community’s water scarcity—as well as breaking stereotypes around gender and labour—by digging wells. Safety hazards, hardship, and lack of help from government authorities have not hindered these women in digging 100 bore wells in the past year. Momentum for such initiatives is spreading across India. Bold women in Langoti village in the Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh also dug their own well after village authorities refused to help. Photo credit: Youth Ki Awaaz

7 03, 2016

Suryamani Bhagat Was Supposed To Be A Teacher In India

2017-10-24T20:14:25-04:00Tags: |

Sanskrit teacher Suryamani Bhagat felt called to grassroots activism when she returned to fight for the forest near her home. She joined a group of Indigenous women to organize forest protection committees, and youth and women co-operatives, as well as launching the Jharkhand Save the Forest Movement. The women were able to persuade the government to implement a new Forest Rights Act, which allowed the Indigenous community to legally own and manage their forestlands. Now, forests in 45 villages are on the path of gradual rejuvenation. Photo credit: Global Greengrants

18 02, 2016

Meet India’s Female Seed Guardians Pioneering Organic Farming

2017-07-19T21:35:42-04:00Tags: |

Climate change and the corporatization of seeds often push farmers into a cycle of inescapable debt in rural India. In response, Arun Ambatipudi explains how the Chetna Organic seed conservation project is helping women conserve cotton, rice and other seeds for food sovereignty and economic independence. Photo credit: Bijal Vachharanjani

15 01, 2016

Nuns Cycle Across India To Promote Gender Equality And Conservation

2017-07-20T19:26:41-04:00Tags: |

Gyalwang Drukpa, the head of the Drupka Monastic order of nuns in Kathmandu, Nepal, led 235 nuns in a 2,000 kilometer bike ride from Kathmandu to Delhi. The nuns made numerous stops along the way to raise awareness about gender equality and environmental stewardship. Photo credit: Flying Nuns

8 01, 2016

These Seed-Saving Farmers In India Pass Down Land To Their Daughters

2017-08-22T09:50:11-04:00Tags: |

Bibiana Ranee is from the matrilineal Khasi Indigenous community from Meghalaya, India, where the youngest daughters inherit the largest share of the family’s traditional lands. This practice empowers women to influence decisions regarding crops and livestock, save indigenous seed varieties, protect biodiversity, build a repository of medicinal herbs, and practice regenerative and organic agriculture. Strengthened by their matrilineal system, the women are spreading awareness about the connections between indigenous culture and food sovereignty, even in the face of the spread of rice monoculture, the industrial agriculture system and the political marginalization of Indigenous women. Photo credit: Rucha Chitnis

2 12, 2015

Women And Climate Change: The View From Bangladesh

2017-09-13T10:25:49-04:00Tags: , |

In this interview with Dr. Sharmind Neelormi, steering group member and the Asian coordinator of GenderCC, the Bangladeshi expert on climate justice expresses concern for the lack of attention given to poor women who are disproportionately vulnerable to the effects of climate change. In particular, she calls for more action by national governments who continue to neglect this vital issue.  Photo credit: Proggna Paromita Majumder

29 11, 2015

Agroecology Is Leading The Fight Against The Green Revolution

2017-08-26T10:44:39-04:00Tags: |

Sheelu Francis and the Women’s Collective were introduced to agroecology in late 1990s when they saw how policies and technology introduced by the Green Revolution were having harmful impacts in their communities. Since then, they have used agroecological farming methods to address social, economic, and environmental issues plaguing the state of Tamil Nadu, including building ecological resilience to climate change by growing millet instead of rice, to multilevel education and campaigns on health, nutrition and farming for schools and colleges. They are also preserving traditional agricultural techniques and saving seeds. Photo credit: WhyHunger

11 11, 2015

Mentoring Girls Is Key To Strengthening India’s Food Security

2017-07-18T00:05:56-04:00Tags: |

The strains of rapid population growth, climate change and food insecurity impact the lives of India’s rural people. To encourage local farming and stewardship of the natural environment, Niangshu Gain coordinates the community group Swarnivar, which partners with high schools to educate girls about nutrition, organic farming and seed banks. Photo credit: Rucha Chitnis

27 10, 2015

When Invisible Lives Become Visible: The Valuable Work Of India’s Rural Women

2017-10-27T00:06:35-04:00Tags: |

Social change photojournalist Rucha Chitnis has been documenting the situation of rural women in India  to try and understand their “invisibility.” Indian women are one of the greatest drivers of social change and activism in the country, yet their interests tend to be forgotten. Thus, Rucha’s quest is to reveal the raising grassroot movement of rural women who defend human rights, fight climate change, combat social injustice. Photo credit: Rucha Chitnis

26 10, 2015

Threats to Indigenous Land Rights: Interview with Dayamani Barla

2017-10-26T17:02:31-04:00Tags: |

In this interview, Dayamani Barla, Indigenous tribal journalist and activist from Jharkland, India, discusses how Indigenous peoples have been displaced from their traditional farming lands due to the dams, mining and other development projects. She states that Indigenous peoples do not treat Nature as a commodity but they live in harmony with Earth as their mission is to protect their natural heritage. Accordingly, the protection and guarantee of land rights is a significant part of Indigenous peoples’ lifestyle and livelihood.

14 10, 2015

Seed Sovereignty, Food Security And Climate Resilience: Women In The Vanguard Of The Fight Against GMOs And Corporate Agriculture

2018-08-10T15:56:40-04:00Tags: |

In this talk, the world renowned scientist, philosopher, and eco-feminist, Vandana Shiva speaks about the danger biotechnology imposes on biodiversity. Alarmed by this threat, Shiva founded Navdanya, a movement to protect the diversity of living resources, most notably native seeds. She also argues about the need for a paradigm shift from industrial agriculture, greed, and domination over nature to non-violence and a women-centered worldview. She argues that the solution to climate change lies in respecting women and nature simultaneously. Photo Credit:  Seed Freedom

15 09, 2015

After The Floods Come Human Traffickers

2017-07-20T17:17:32-04:00Tags: |

The combined effects of climate change and extreme poverty in places such as the Sundarban region of India have made it easier to lure women and children into forced prostitution, marriage and labor. But through education, women and their communities are fighting back. Once forced to leave school earn money after floods destroyed her family home, 15-year-old Ronja Khatun completed her education and works with a local charity to educate her peers about human trafficking. Photo credit: Sam Eaton

17 07, 2015

Women In Odisha, India, Farm For Earth And Community

2017-10-24T20:15:40-04:00Tags: |

In the remote Indian state of Odisha, thousands of female farmers have returned to organic, zero-input agriculture to grow a variety of crops through small cooperatives. They are practicing both agroecology and a collective way of life, which enable them to feed their families better than the expensive chemical fertilizers and farming methods promoted by the Green Revolution. Photo credit: Common Dreams

30 04, 2015

Watch What Happens When Tribal Women Manage India’s Forests

2017-07-11T18:01:49-04:00Tags: |

35-year-old Kama Pradham works alongside other women from India's Gunduribadi tribal village to monitor and protect their land from illegal logging. Thanks to their efforts, India’s forests are experiencing a resurgence in growth and biodiversity while local people benefit from sustainable livelihoods. Photo credit: Manipadma Jena/ IPS

8 03, 2015

Lured By Marriage Promises, Climate Victims Fall Into Trafficking Trap

2017-06-25T21:27:18-04:00Tags: |

Young girls, such as 13-year-old Sunetra, are increasingly becoming the victims of sex trafficking after poverty and desperation force them into marriage at a young age. Areas worst affected by the impacts of climate change, such as the Sundarban region of southern India, are hotspots for traffickers. Photo credit: tuschman.wordpress.com

1 01, 2015

Indian Women Initiate Water Management System For Women Farmers

2017-10-29T21:35:05-04:00Tags: |

In the Indian state of Gujarat, drought is disproportionately affecting female farmers, whose income is dependent on the monsoon. Leelaben Lohana is one of five women members of the women-initiated Bhungroo group. Bhungroo is a climate change resilient water management system that collects and stores rainwater underground. It is liberating women from the imposed debt and vulnerability that comes with drought. Bhungroo is also turning to the agricultural knowledge of Indian women in exchange for land ownership and local governance, protecting women from having to migrate into urban poverty by gaining self sufficiency in their local regions instead. Photo credit: UNFCCC

1 01, 2015

2017-11-09T20:14:15-05:00Tags: |

Babli Roy, at only 14 years old, already has her own garden after attending a training which helped girls in the village understand their rights to land. With the knowledge gained from the training, she planted the garden and is cultivating beans. She wants to plant peas or more vegetables in the future.

24 12, 2014

All India Women’s Conference Initiatives At National Level To Abate Climate Change

2017-09-24T19:11:31-04:00Tags: |

Over the last decade, India has faced extreme weather situations ranging from flooding to brutal heatwaves that have cost both lives and property, with the poor and women bearing the biggest burden of these catastrophes. It is with this context in mind that the Kalyani Raj, of the All India Women’s Conference (AIWC), writes about her organization’s efforts to  train Indian women in both rural and urban areas on climate mitigation and adaptation activities, ranging from water management and water management, alternative and clean energy sources as well as disaster management and preparedness. Photo credit: Outreach

20 08, 2014

Defending Forest Rights Is A Daily Task For This Indian Woman

2017-07-11T18:20:08-04:00Tags: |

Since the age of 20, Suryamani Bhagat has been fighting for the right of her Indigenous community to own and manage their forests. She has helped her community apply for land titles, and founded the Torang, a tribal rights and cultural centre in her village of Kotari, India. In response to unsafe conditions that women in rural areas face, she helped create a committee of 15 women that patrol the forests and support local residents to protect the biodiversity of their homeland. She now works with the Jharkhand Save the Forest Movement to put land back into the hands of local communities. Photo credit: Thomas Reuters Foundation  

1 08, 2014

Solidarity, Group Farming And Solar Panels In The Jungles Of Kerala

2017-08-26T10:41:28-04:00Tags: |

As part of ‘Kudumbashree,’ an anti-poverty and gender justice movement in the region of Kerala, India, women of the Muthavan tribe from Edamalakudi, Idduki district have installed solar panels on homes as part of the village council program and helped 240 families in the village with their energy needs. The women are farming organic crops as a group, in small plots focusing on millet, paddy, tapioca, plantains and cardamom. The women are very clear and confident of their goals, including patrolling restricted-access “jeep roads” to prevent logging, mining and poaching. Photo: Madhuraj, Mathrubhumi Weekly

20 02, 2014

Study On Impact Of Climate Change: Ahmedabad’s Urban Poor Hit Hard By Heat Waves, With Women On The Frontlines

2017-11-01T12:13:34-04:00Tags: |

Zahra Shaik, a researcher at the Indian Institute of Public Health - Gandhinagar (IIPH), discusses the impacts of climatic heat waves on women situated in Ahmedabad, India. The impacts from heat waves mostly affect vulnerable women in the poverty-stricken urban areas of Ahmedabad. The heatwaves are found to contribute to the increase in mortality and resultantly spur the need for climate adaptation measures and mitigation within local government (Ahmedabad’s Municipal Council) and a coalition of partners within the IIPH(G) and the Natural Resource Defence Council (NRDC). A Heat Action Plan was implemented, including Shaik’s Health Impact Assessment. Both documents establish frameworks upon which the implications of health, the vulnerability of urban Indian communities and the establishment of climate change adaptation and mitigation measures can be encouraged within Ahmedabad. Photo credit: Zahra Shaik

11 12, 2013

An Interview With A Believer In Local Production, Distribution And Consumption

2017-08-26T10:54:40-04:00Tags: |

An anthropologist and environmentalist by profession, Reetu Sogani is a grassroots practitioner and activist in Himachal Pradesh, India. Her work focuses on promoting people’s rights over their natural resources via policy and advocacy, protecting cultural and biological diversity, and improving community food security. She hopes to develop alternatives to the current definition of “development” which endorses liberalization, globalization and privatization. She promotes the principle of local production using sustainable and organic methods, local distribution and local consumption as the way to combat climate change. Photo credit: 1 Million Women

26 10, 2013

Living Close To The Earth In India: Interview With Dayamani Barla, Adivasi

2017-10-26T17:00:26-04:00Tags: |

This is an interview with Dayamani Barla, winner of the 2013 Ellen Lutz award for Indigenous Leadership. Dayamani explains the current situation of Indigenous peoples in India where due to development projects, Indigenous people are displaced and become homeless. She explains that Indigenous rights are not respected anymore by the Indian government and Indigenous territories are in danger. She points out that Indigenous peoples live in harmony with Nature and they won’t give their land at any cost.

26 10, 2013

Dayamani Barla Defends Rights Of Adivasis And Forests In India

2017-10-26T16:15:14-04:00Tags: |

Dayamani Barla of the Munda tribe, of Jharkhand, India has emerged as a central leader opposing the increase in dams, mines, and industrial projects displacing India’s tribal Adivasis peoples. In 2012, Dayamani was jailed for her work to lead a people’s movement in Nagri to prevent land grabbing of key agricultural areas, yet continues forward in her outspoken work to protect tribal resources and ways of living and relating to the natural world. Photo credit: Cultural Survival

24 06, 2013

How Women In Rural India Are Adapting To A Changing Climate

2017-10-16T17:58:04-04:00Tags: |

Climate change is a phenomenon that affects different genders in different ways, hence the importance of fighting the changes through a gender perspective. In rural India, women have been receiving assistance to practice sustainable agriculture, adapt to the environmental change, and secure food. Kajol Das is a small-scale farmer in India who recently moved to a new and safer area where she can grow her own vegetables, working alongside the Women’s Earth Alliance. Photo credit: Rucha Chitnis

15 04, 2013

Women Nurture Seeds

2021-03-03T20:05:21-05:00Tags: |

In Karnataka, South India, women farmers engage with indigenous and local food sovereignty practices used before the Green Revolution. The video highlights two women from the local community, Mrs. Hombalamma and Mrs. Jayarathnamma, who both practice forms of local food sovereignty. Having internalized the need for biodiversity in agriculture, Mrs. Hombalamma grows a variety of crops on her land. She takes care to conserve her seeds and supplies them to the confederation of local farmers. Mrs. Jayarathnamma also conserves and protects seeds from her robust vegetable garden. Women and their agricultural knowledge, specifically their work with seed conservation, play a pivotal role in Karnataka’s food system. Photo Credit: Video Capture

5 12, 2012

Vandana Shiva: Everything I Need To Know I Learned In The Forest

2017-06-20T07:37:11-04:00Tags: |

Vandana Shiva is an internationally-renowned activist for biodioversity and against corporate globalization. Vandana has been responding to deforestation and attacks on nature since the 1970s, when peasant women in her region of the Himalayas rose up together in defense of their forest. Logging in the area led to landslides, floods, and scarcity of water and fuel, with the burden falling heavily on local women. Since that time, Vandana says that biodiversity and biodiversity-based living economies became her life’s mission, acting as a documentarian and activist, spreading the message that the failure to understand biodiversity and its many functions is at the root of the impoverishment of nature and culture. Photo credit: Suzanne Lee

29 10, 2011

Rural Women’s Adaptation Strategies In India

2017-10-29T01:18:19-04:00Tags: |

Participatory-action research conducted by the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development  reveals that the widespread failure of agriculture, linked to climate-related drought, deeply impacts the lives of Dalit and Irular women in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. To cope with extreme weather changes, these women are seeking alternate employment in floriculture and wage labor, often bringing new health challenges. Further, they are adopting strategies such as collective farming and rainwater harvesting.

11 06, 2007

The Narmada Valley: Villages Flooded, Livelihoods Destroyed

2017-10-31T13:23:39-04:00Tags: |

When the state of Madhya Pradesh, India closed the gates of the Omkareshwar dam, flooding dozens of villages, the women of Gunjari village refused to move from their homes until they got proper compensation for the destruction of their property and livelihoods. The struggle waged by the women of the Narmada valley demonstrates how women actively refuse to be victims of state and patriarchal violence, demanding liberation for themselves and for the river ecosystems that have sustained their community for thousands of years.

1 11, 2004

Rashida Bee And Champa Devi Shukla Lead Fight For Justice From Union Carbide Gas Disaster

2017-11-01T02:51:02-04:00Tags: |

In 1984, Bhopal, India suffered what would be the world’s biggest industrial disaster: the Union Carbide gas leak that killed more than 20,000 people. More than 20 years have passed and victims and their offspring still have no justice. Rashida Bee and Champa Devi Shukla, two Bhopal activists, are demanding justice for survivors. In 1986, both women, former workers at the factory, organized an independent union to fight for their worker’s rights and conditions and better wages, which helped them achieve gains for their class. In 2002, they organized a hunger strike that had unimaginable reach also to other countries and more than 1,500 people participating, and have, ever since, continued fighting to find justice for their own. Photo credit: Goldman Environmental Prize

1 01, 1992

Medha Patkar, 1992 Goldman Prize Recipient, Asia

2017-10-18T11:50:32-04:00Tags: |

Since 1985, Goldman Environmental Prize recipient Medha Patkar has fought tribal displacement and environmental degradation from dam construction in India. She is the lead organizer of Narmada Bachao Andolan, a grassroots organization dedicated to opposing dams along the Narmada River, and helped establish the National Alliance of People’s Movement. Although facing police violence, she organizes rallies, occupations, hunger strikes, and legal battles against development projects and has seen success with a ten-year campaign against the Sardar Sarovar Dam, among other efforts. Photo credit: Goldman Environmental Prize

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