The impact of heat on the health of women in India: A cross-sectional study

This report highlights extreme heat as a growing public health emergency with significant and often overlooked implications for women’s health. Drawing on mixed-methods research in India, it shows how rising temperatures are intensifying existing health risks—from cardiovascular and respiratory conditions to maternal and mental health—while deepening structural inequalities.

Moving beyond the idea of women as a single “vulnerable group,” the study examines how factors such as occupation, poverty, caste, and unpaid care work shape exposure and impact. Based on surveys, health provider insights, and national consultations, it offers important evidence to inform more inclusive and gender-responsive heat health policies and planning.