The climate crisis is a gender equality crisis. Around the world, rising floodwaters, extreme heat, and increasingly unpredictable seasons are disrupting access to the healthcare that women and girls depend on and forcing them to go without food, education, and safety.

In northeastern Bangladesh, one community is showing what it looks like to adapt and support each other through the rapidly changing climate.

When the floods arrive

When floodwaters sweep into the village of Bodipur in northeastern Bangladesh, life does not pause—it adapts. For women like Shakila Akhter, a mother of two, adaptation is not a choice but a matter of survival.

“I was eight months pregnant during the last flood. We took shelter for three days with only the essentials. Thanks to the training I received, I knew what to carry, how to prepare, and how to protect my family.”

Bodipur is located in Sunamganj, a climate-vulnerable district in the heart of the haor—a wetland ecosystem in northeastern Bangladesh. Here, floods arrive suddenly and can last for weeks, disrupting life, displacing families, and cutting off access to basic services. Factors related to climate change, such as extreme and erratic rainfall, are increasing the risk of dangerous flooding in the country.

With over 670,000 women of reproductive age living in Sunamganj, climate-related events like these can have an immediate and devastating impact on access to sexual and reproductive care.

Shakila Akhter is now working to build her resilience to climate-related disasters. “I use family planning tools now—something I never knew about before. I want to choose when I’m ready for another child.”

Finding creative solutions

Volunteer Shakila Begum was equipped with just two days of training when she began working directly with her community. She now supports 75 local families by acting as a first point of contact for women in need of guidance on family planning and maternal healthcare.

“One woman had dangerously high blood pressure just before giving birth. I advised her family to go to the local hospital, where she safely delivered—completely free of cost.”

Shakila Begum began this work as part UNFPA’s Partners in Health and Development: Climate Resilience Health System and Community initiative. The initiative supports women and girls in Sunamganj to learn about the links between climate change and health, from managing menstrual complications to preparing for childbirth during floods.

With new challenges come new opportunities for creative solutions. In the district of Kurban Nagarn, volunteers have begun hosting “street dramas” for the local community. Performers act out scenes related to maternal health, disaster preparedness, and child marriage prevention. Over 500 people gather to watch each performance.

Anima Akhter, a mother living in the community, explained that the street dramas open space for difficult conversations: “We want to share our problems, especially about our bodies—but we often can’t speak.”

With the support of volunteers like Shakila Begum, Anima Akhter and her husband received training and delivered their youngest child safely at the hospital.

“We are learning how to protect our children and prepare for floods. Now we share what we know with others.”

A global effort

Despite these efforts, challenges remain. In flood-prone villages such as Bodipur, over half of all deliveries still occur at home. Many women and girls face barriers to openly discussing topics such as menstruation, while women who try to generate their own income by growing vegetables or selling goods are restricted by cultural norms. These vulnerabilities are made worse by climate-related disasters, which often hit women and girls the hardest.

From July 28–31, 2025, global experts met at the Global Symposium on Climate Justice and Impacted Populations to address the outsized impact of climate change on women and girls. The event called for urgent action to shape gender-responsive climate negotiations and a renewed commitment to understanding how climate change affects sexual and reproductive healthcare.

Speaking at the event, Diene Keita, Executive Director of UNFPA, drew attention to the gendered impact of climate change: “The evidence tells us that climate change is increasing the risk of maternal death, disrupting access to contraceptives, and increasing the risk of violence against women.”

In 2024, UNFPA delivered lifesaving healthcare supplies—including Dignity Kits and emergency cash assistance—to 184,000 women in Bangladesh, reaching 19,000 people within 72 hours of the severe August floods.

“Our collective efforts need to strengthen the resilience of women, girls, and health systems to withstand and adapt to climate shocks. Being prepared, responding rapidly, and building forward better must be central pillars for our work,” Diene Keita, Executive Director of UNFPA said.