Ecofeminism, Climate Justice, and Women’s Leadership in South Asia

Abstract

Climate Change is not only an environmental crisis but also a profound social and political challenge that disproportionately affects marginalized communities, particularly women in the Global South. Existing inequalities based on gender, resource access, political participation, environmental degradation, and resource scarcity affect women’s vulnerability to climate impacts while constraining their adaptive capacities. At the same time, women continue to play critical roles in environmental protection, community resilience, and sustainable resource management despite their limited inclusion in formal climate governance and decision-making processes. This article draws on feminist and ecofeminist perspectives and employs a qualitative comparative analysis of secondary literature, policy documents, and regional case studies to examine how climate vulnerability is produced and reinforced by structural inequalities, including unequal land ownership, gendered divisions of labour, and the underrepresentation of women in political institutions. The study analyses the gap between policy commitments to gender inclusion and the persistent limitations on women’s substantive participation in climate governance using examples from countries, including Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The article argues that achieving climate justice in South Asia requires not only gender sensitive policies but also broader structural transformation, meaningful political representation, gender-responsive institutions, and stronger accountability mechanisms that move beyond symbolic inclusion and towards genuine decision-making power.