School closures are disrupting education and increasing caregiving responsibilities.
Rising temperatures across India have led to prolonged school closures in Delhi and around half of the country’s states. In many cases, schools closed as early as mid-May and remained shut until the beginning of the regular summer break. As a result, many students have shifted to online learning, forcing families to reorganize daily routines. These disruptions have placed additional caregiving responsibilities on parents, particularly mothers, who often assume responsibility for supervising children during extended periods away from school.
Women are reducing work hours or leaving employment to care for children.
The report documents how extreme heat is affecting women’s participation in the labor market. Several mothers interviewed described reducing their working hours, accepting lower-paying jobs, or leaving employment altogether to care for children while schools remain closed. The article notes that lower-income families face particular challenges because they have fewer childcare alternatives and depend heavily on women’s unpaid labor. Consequently, climate-related school disruptions are generating economic impacts that extend beyond the education sector.
Experts warn that climate adaptation plans often overlook gender impacts.
Specialists cited in the article argue that current responses to heatwaves focus primarily on immediate public health concerns while giving limited attention to their social and economic consequences. The report highlights concerns about inadequate school infrastructure and insufficient preparation for increasingly frequent periods of extreme heat. Furthermore, experts warn that without stronger adaptation measures, recurring school closures could continue to deepen gender inequalities, reduce household income, and increase economic vulnerability among affected families.
Reference
Bukhari, A. & Tabbasum, N. (2026, June 22). How India’s heatwaves are shutting schools – and pushing women out of the workforce. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jun/22/how-india-heatwaves-shutting-schools-pushing-women-out-of-the-workforce