Women and Environment: Analysis with Survey Data in the Indian Scenario

Abstract

Gender aspects of the environment are an important issue, as women are more vulnerable as a result of this environment. This issue is very much relevant as UNICEF (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) is committed to gender equality and aligns its work with the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development. Instead of a few benefits, there are several disadvantages and serious health issues that women have to face due to their interaction with the environment. Women rely on healthy ecosystems to feed their families, and as such, they are heavily affected by environmental degradation and disasters like flooding, biodiversity loss and climate change. Women in rural and indigenous communities shoulder specific responsibilities to ensure the well-being of their families, such as gathering water and firewood. However, women’s representation in environmental decision-making was insufficient, and their access to land and management was too limited. In this background, this study examines the gender issues in the environment in India, that is, the advantages and disadvantages faced by Indian women due to their dependency on the environment compared to their male counterparts. The interaction between women and the environment is mainly studied in three aspects, which are: air, water and forests, and the situations have been analyzed by using secondary data from different sources. Further, this study examines the state-wise performance of maintaining sanitation and using cooking fuel, as these are essential for livelihood and are mostly carried out by women. The result indicates that the economically poor and backward states of India are using traditional fuels and maintain low hygiene compared to the developed states, which may be because of huge population pressure and low income of the people. As it has been empirically observed that women face disproportionate exposure to environmental issues, including climate change, as they are traditionally considered the caregivers of the family, this issue is very much relevant in the contemporary period. Finally, it summarizes and concludes with brief policy suggestions.