Researchers warned the result is a cycle: climate stress increases unpaid work, which reduces income opportunities and deepens poverty.
Sri Lanka’s worsening climate shocks are quietly reshaping family life – and women are paying the price in invisible labour, according to a new study highlighting how unpaid care work expands during disasters, pushing many households closer to poverty.
The findings, launched by the Women and Media Collective (WMC), reveal that climate change is not only an environmental or economic challenge but also a gendered social crisis. As droughts, floods and extreme weather become more frequent, women increasingly stretch their time and energy to keep families functioning, often at the cost of employment, health and financial independence.
Women as “Shock Absorbers” During Disasters
The pilot study, conducted among 60 women in Colombo, Gampaha and Moneragala districts, found that 95 per cent of respondents reported their care responsibilities becoming significantly harder during extreme weather events.
Participants included mothers, caregivers for persons with disabilities and women working in climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture. Many also carried the dual burden of income generation and household care.
Researchers described women as “shock absorbers” during crises – individuals who absorb the impact of disasters by increasing unpaid labour to sustain families and communities.
In practical terms, this meant longer hours cooking and cleaning, caring for children and elderly relatives, and securing water and fuel. In drought-prone Moneragala, women reported spending large parts of the day collecting firewood and fetching water due to limited access to basic utilities.
The burden was especially heavy for caregivers of persons with disabilities. Over 61 per cent of respondents cared for at least one disabled family member, while childcare responsibilities were highest in Gampaha and Moneragala districts.
Limited childcare services and inadequate facilities worsened the situation. Many women said even when centres existed, they lacked capacity to support children with special needs.
Researchers warned the result is a cycle: climate stress increases unpaid work, which reduces income opportunities and deepens poverty.
Invisible Labour Outside the Economy
Dr. Sepali Kottegoda, Director of Programmes on Gender and Political Economy at WMC, said the problem lies partly in how societies define “work”.
She explained that unpaid care is rarely counted as labour in economic systems even though it sustains households and enables the broader economy to function.
The study frames this within the concept of “social reproduction” – the unpaid activities required to maintain daily life, including childcare, cooking, cleaning and caregiving.
“These roles are structurally indispensable yet systematically overlooked,” she noted, calling for recognition of their economic value.
Climate change worsens this invisibility. Rising costs of water, fuel and transport increase the effort required to perform routine domestic tasks, meaning the same unpaid labour now requires more time and physical effort.
In drought-affected areas without piped water, women must travel longer distances to fetch water, making caregiving more physically demanding and time-consuming.
The study argues that ignoring this dynamic undermines climate recovery strategies because household resilience depends heavily on unpaid female labour.
Policy Gaps and Declining Workforce Participation
At the report’s launch, National People’s Power parliamentarian Lakmali Hemachandra said climate crises are now part of everyday life but rarely integrated into policymaking.
She pointed to worrying trends: falling birth rates, rising mental-health issues among married women and female labour force participation dropping below 30 per cent over the past year.
According to her, disproportionate care responsibilities may be pushing women out of formal employment and affecting family wellbeing.
She argued that unpaid care work must be recognised in national planning, warning that many women juggle multiple crises – economic hardship, climate shocks and domestic responsibilities – without institutional support.
The study also highlighted the lack of gender-sensitive disaster infrastructure. During rescue operations after Cyclone Ditwah, evacuation centres lacked adequate sanitation facilities, separate changing spaces and disability-friendly amenities, making conditions particularly difficult for women and children.
Additionally, communication gaps prevented accurate identification of deaf and blind disaster victims, prompting calls for early warnings in sign language formats.
Climate Justice Linked to Care Economy
Sri Lanka is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts, with an estimated 19 million people expected to live in moderate or severe climate hotspots by 2050.
Researchers say climate justice therefore cannot focus solely on infrastructure and emissions – it must also consider how societies organise care.
They urge policymakers to integrate the “care-climate-recovery nexus” into economic planning. This includes expanding childcare and eldercare services, improving water access and recognising unpaid care in social protection policies.
The report concludes that valuing unpaid care work socially and economically is essential to building resilience.
Without such recognition, the study warns, climate adaptation efforts risk relying on invisible labour – mostly performed by women – that remains unsupported and unsustainable.
Image: Wikimedia
