00:00Heat waves are hard on us all, but some groups suffer more than others.
00:03High temperatures can exacerbate gender inequality,
00:06and women, particularly those in low-income families, are at the sharp end, said The Guardian.
00:10Women are more at risk of health complications during a heat wave for two main reasons,
00:14a health specialist told the BBC.
00:15First, women not only sweat less than men, but also start sweating at a higher temperature,
00:20meaning it is harder to quickly shed heat.
00:22The second reason is hormone regulation.
00:24Levels of estrogen and progesterone shift substantially during the menstrual cycle,
00:28perimenopause, menopause, pregnancy, and while breastfeeding.
00:31This can knock the brain's temperature regulation systems out of kilter.
00:34How people experience heat is often gendered in a culturally determined way,
00:38said researchers on the conversation.
00:40In domestic settings, particularly across Africa, Asia, and Oceania,
00:44women tend to spend more time indoors in poorly ventilated homes,
00:47in their role as primary caregivers.
00:49Hotter temperatures can also threaten women's safety.
00:52Depressingly, it only takes fairly small shifts in temperature
00:55to increase the likelihood of domestic violence, said the European University Institute.
00:59A one degree Celsius rise in daily temperature is associated with approximately a 2.7% increase
01:05in domestic violence reports.
01:07And in disadvantaged areas, the effect is much more intense,
01:10due to more crowded living arrangements, lower cooling capacity,
01:13and reduced access to outdoor spaces.
01:15Each degree of additional temperature is associated with up to a 50% larger relative increase
01:20in domestic violence incidents compared to richer areas.
01:23Policymakers need to realise that women suffer across culture, power,
01:26and intersections of class, caste, and migratory status,
01:29said researchers on the conversation.
01:31And their suffering is largely invisible to those heading climate responses.
01:34Making sure women can cope with the heat is not a woman's problem,
01:37an expert told the BBC.
01:39This is a societal problem.
01:40If we get it right for women, we get it right for everyone.
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