Introduction: When Nature Turned Against Us
In the monsoon seasons of recent years, Pakistan has witnessed devastation on an unimaginable scale. Entire villages submerged. Crops wiped out. Lives uprooted. From Sindh’s submerged fields to the battered homes of Balochistan, from Punjab’s waterlogged towns to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s displaced communities the floods did not discriminate in geography, but they did in impact.
Over 33 million people were affected in the 2022 floods alone. Homes were swept away. Livelihoods were destroyed. Access to food, healthcare, and education vanished almost overnight.
Yet, this wasn’t just a natural disaster. It was a climate justice crisis, one that laid bare the inequalities woven into our systems.
The floods didn’t just wash away homes, they exposed the deep cracks in our systems, our priorities, and our preparedness.
Climate Change and Policy Failure
Pakistan contributes less than 1% to global greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, it stands among the top 10 most climate-vulnerable countries in the world. This paradox is the very essence of climate injustice.
But while climate change may have brought the rain, human negligence paved the way for destruction.
- Decades of poor urban planning turned towns into water traps.
- Deforestation and unchecked development weakened natural flood defenses.
- Fragile infrastructure collapsed under pressure.
- And a glaring lack of long-term disaster planning meant communities were left to fend for themselves.
These failures don’t affect everyone equally. Policy inaction carries gendered consequences and it’s often women who are left to carry the heaviest burdens in the aftermath.
Women at the Frontlines of the Crisis
When the waters rose, so did the responsibilities placed on women.
In rural and flood-affected regions, women are the primary caregivers. They’re responsible for fetching clean water, preparing food, and caring for children and the elderly all while navigating waist-deep floodwaters or cramped relief shelters.
In temporary camps, the challenges multiply:
- Access to menstrual hygiene, privacy, and reproductive healthcare is often nonexistent.
- Gender-based violence spikes in insecure shelter conditions.
- Women in agriculture and informal labor lose their income, with no safety net.
And yet, amid the chaos, women stepped up as community leaders.
They organized local relief efforts. They became the voice for the voiceless. They rebuilt homes, hopes, and hearts often without institutional support.
The Humanitarian Gap: Where Relief Missed the Mark
Relief efforts though massive in scale often failed to reach the most vulnerable. The system overlooked the lived realities of women.
- Women without CNICs (national ID cards) were unable to access aid.
- Those without male family members faced challenges in mobility and accessing resources.
- Relief camps were not designed with women’s needs in mind lacking safe sanitation, childcare support, and medical care tailored to women.
Disasters don’t erase inequality, they magnify it. And when aid systems ignore these disparities, they deepen the damage.
That’s why gender-sensitive disaster response policies are not optional. They are essential.
She’s Beyond: Advocating for Inclusive Climate Action
At She’s Beyond, we believe that climate resilience begins with inclusion. Our work is rooted in storytelling, community engagement, and youth-led advocacy that connects the dots between climate change and gender inequality.
Through digital campaigns, grassroots workshops, and youth storytelling projects, we’re:
- Raising awareness about the gendered impacts of climate disasters.
- Empowering young women to demand accountability and action.
- Advocating for women’s inclusion in climate policy and disaster planning.
Because recovery should not just rebuild what was lost
It must rebuild better, fairer, and greener.
The Way Forward: Building Resilience, Not Just Relief
As climate disasters become more frequent, Pakistan must shift from reaction to resilience.
Here's how we move forward:
- Invest in sustainable urban planning and green infrastructure.
- Strengthen early warning systems and disaster preparedness.
- Include women in every stage of disaster response from planning to recovery.
- Create climate education and green livelihood programs for women in rural areas.
- Center local voices and indigenous knowledge in climate policy.
This is not just about surviving the next flood. It's about changing the tide.
Conclusion: Beyond the Floods
The waters may have receded but the scars remain. So does the strength.
From the embattled fields of Sindh to the highlands of KPK, Pakistan’s women are not just victims of climate disasters. They are caregivers, builders, organizers, and advocates. Their resilience is not just a response to crisis it’s a vision for the future .
The waters may have receded, but the call for change remains.
Pakistan’s women are not just victims of climate disasters, they are the voices that will lead us beyond them.
🟢 Let’s listen to them. Learn from them. And stand with them in every storm, and in every step forward.
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