By Avani Panchal, AIDMI, India

Strengthening the safety of women entrepreneurs in extreme heat requires integrating protection concerns into urban disaster risk reduction (DRR) and Heat Action Plans.

First, cities must adopt gender-responsive heat resilience planning, ensuring that policies recognise how heat amplifies risks of harassment, intimidation, and unsafe working conditions for women in informal enterprises.

Second, mapping heat and safety hotspots in markets, vending areas, and transport hubs can help identify locations where women face both heat stress and protection risks. Such mapping should involve women entrepreneurs themselves, whose daily experiences provide critical insights.

Third, cities should invest in safe and shaded workspaces, including structured vending zones with cooling infrastructure, drinking water, lighting, and sanitation facilities that reduce both heat exposure and vulnerability to harassment.

Fourth, accessible reporting and grievance mechanisms must be established so women can safely report intimidation, extortion, or violence encountered in public workspaces.

Finally, women’s participation in city resilience planning should be strengthened, ensuring their voices influence the design of Heat Action Plans and urban safety measures. When urban resilience strategies combine cooling, safety, and inclusion, they not only protect livelihoods but also strengthen the dignity, security, and economic stability of women entrepreneurs.