India heatwaves shut schools and push women from the workforce
scienceJun 22, 2026481
India's heatwaves are shutting schools for weeks or months, with daytime temperatures topping 41 C (106 F) in several districts. As classrooms move to remote learning, many mothers are quitting formal jobs, shifting into lower-paid work, or taking on unpaid caregiving to supervise children. These workforce exits are eroding recent gains in female employment, squeezing household incomes and raising poverty risk as extreme heat events become more frequent with climate change.
