Cool roofs for climate resilience and women’s economic empowerment in urban centers of India

For urban poor, home is also a workplace, especially for women in Indian cities. Rising temperatures and heatwaves interfere with productivity, subsistence and home comfort. Through this project, Mahila Housing Trust provided cool roofing solutions to lower indoor temperature and enhance well-being. Pro-poor solutions in roofing, walling and housing-ventilation were devised, demonstrated and validated, with support to test prototypes. Women from community-based organisations were consulted and designs were revised according to their feedback. The lack of financial mechanisms and gender sensitive technical solutions was tackled through a women-led, community-wide approach, so that today credit cooperatives bring financial support to ensure a gender just acces to cool roofs.