Mitigating the risks of heat stress among women rice farmers in Odisha

• Heat stress affects women farmers more severely than their male counterparts.
• Extreme heat, drought, floods, and vector-borne diseases significantly amplify the physical and financial challenges faced by women, who bear the double burden of domestic and agricultural duties.
• Heat stress exacerbates women's challenges related to domestic chores such as cooking and living in spaces with poor ventilation, fetching water, and increased care work due to heat-induced illnesses.

As part of efforts to help women farmers manage the challenges posed by climate change, the CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform's Evidence Module, led by IRRI, analyzed the gender dynamics of heat stress in agriculture. IRRI, in partnership with Awaas Sewa Pvt. Ltd. (ASPL), conducted a two-day training in Ganjam district, Odisha, during the 1st and 2nd of August 2024 to build awareness and capacities of women farmers to deal with heat stress effectively. This was the first of three workshops to develop targeted interventions to support women farmers in confronting heat stress and other climate change challenges.

Understanding climate change-induced challenges

During the workshop, the participants discussed various facets of climate change, like heat, floods, droughts, and vector-borne diseases. Through an interactive exercise, women shared their experiences and insights on how climate challenges have evolved and impacted their agricultural practices and daily lives. For example, some women noted an increase in the frequency and intensity of heat waves, which has led to reduced crop yields and the need for more water for irrigation. Others shared how prolonged droughts have caused severe water shortages, affecting crop production and potable water availability for their communities. The increased prevalence of vector-borne diseases like malaria and dengue due to changing climate conditions was highlighted.

Heat stress is becoming a major concern

As global warming and extreme heat incidents increase, we are experiencing increased daytime temperatures, reduced nighttime cooling, and higher air pollution levels - all of which affect human health. Heat stress is the discomfort and physiological strain associated with exposure to a hot environment, especially during indoor and outdoor physical work. This heat stress is manifested in different conditions, including fatigue, dehydration, and cramps. Heat stress uniquely affects women in agriculture, who face worsening working conditions aggravated by heat waves or prolonged high-temperature conditions. They endure longer work hours and outdoor labor during extreme heat. Restrictive social norms limit women's abilities to find shade or wear appropriate clothing for heat relief. They shoulder the responsibility of caring for family members affected by heat-related illnesses, adding to their workload. Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable, facing increased risks of miscarriage or stillbirth.

During the workshop, the women unpacked the multiple challenges they face due to heat stress as they wade through their unpaid care work and paid agricultural work throughout the day. For instance, women mentioned cooking over firewood in poorly ventilated homes during extreme heat is particularly exhausting and irritating. Fetching firewood and water from distant sources also becomes more complex on hot days. High temperatures limit the farmers' working hours, increase the physical strain during tasks like transplanting and harvesting paddy crops, and reduce their productivity. Physical discomfort, including back pain and headaches during transplanting, and injuries during harvesting were highlighted by the women. This necessitates hiring additional labor, which challenges poor households with limited incomes.

[Link]

The women also differentiated the specific effects of heat stress on their paddy crops - their primary food and income source. High temperatures negatively affect rice crops by stunting their growth, increasing pests and diseases, and lowering the quantity and quality of rice produced. They highlighted the negative impact of high temperatures on seed germination, plant growth, and crop quality. Limited access to market information and markets further reduces their incomes. This structured discussion helped participants understand the extensive and specific challenges heat stress poses in rice cultivation.

This two-day training raised awareness of the varied impacts of climate change, specifically high temperatures, on women farmers in their domestic and agricultural work. The discussions underscored the importance of developing practical solutions and strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of extreme heat and ensure the well-being of women farmers.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.