Integrating Care into Climate

Women and Media Collective, in collaboration with RLS South Asia, is working on a project that highlights the critical but often overlooked intersection of unpaid care work and climate change in Sri Lanka. Women, who perform most care responsibilities—caring for children, the elderly, people with disabilities, and managing households—are also among the most affected by climate impacts. They carry a triple burden: unpaid care, agricultural labour, and income generation, all of which are increasingly strained by floods, droughts, and shifting weather patterns.

The project will focus on three districts—Monaragala, Colombo, and Gampaha—to capture the lived realities of women caregivers in rural and urban settings. Through surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions, the initiative will document how climate change reshapes care responsibilities and livelihoods. It will also strengthen resilience by supporting community groups in areas such as sustainable agriculture, disaster preparedness, and participation in local decision-making.

Alongside community mobilisation, the project will address policy. Findings will feed into advocacy for gender-responsive climate policies and budgets at both local and national levels. By recognising and redistributing care work within climate frameworks, the initiative seeks to ensure women are not only seen as vulnerable groups but as active agents in shaping Sri Lanka’s climate adaptation strategies.

By centring women’s care work in climate policy and practice, the project aims to build a just transition that values both people and the planet.