aziz
Heatwaves are becoming an urgent public health, livelihood and gender-equity challenge in rapidly urbanizing cities. In Bangladesh, extreme heat is no longer only a seasonal discomfort; it increasingly affects health, income, mobility, care work and access to services, especially among low-income urban populations. Women living in informal settlements are among the most exposed groups because they often live in overcrowded housing, work in informal and heat-exposed occupations, depend on limited water and sanitation facilities, and carry a disproportionate burden of unpaid domestic and care responsibilities. Dhaka’s informal settlements are critical sites for understanding gendered heat vulnerability. Many residents live in dense housing with limited ventilation, poor access to cooling, unstable livelihoods and weak institutional support. During heatwaves, these vulnerabilities intensify: poor ventilation increases indoor heat, water scarcity affects hygiene and menstrual health, informa