Saniya Verma
In the summer of 2025, I joined the Environment Policy and Action Youth Fellowship (EPAYF), organized by the IMPRI Center for Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainable Development in New Delhi. As a Sociology Honours student with a deep commitment to equity and justice, I saw this fellowship as a unique opportunity to bridge my passion for social change with the urgent need for environmental action in India. Running from April to May, the EPAYF brought some of the country’s most pressing environmental challenges through policy analysis, discussions, and actionable projects. What I didn’t expect was how profoundly this experience would reshape my understanding of sustainability, and the role rural women play in it.
My journey with EPAYF began with a simple question: Why do India’s climate debates focus so heavily on grand-scale actions, think carbon targets and green tech while ignoring the quiet, daily efforts of rural women? These women, especially in tribal and village communities, practice environmental conservation not out of policy mandates but through tradition, necessity, and a deep connection to the land. Yet their contributions go unremarked in mainstream discussions. Inspired by this gap, I set out to document their stories, drawing on my sociological lens to highlight the gendered dimension of sustainability. The fellowship gave me the tools to turn this idea into reality, culminating in a project that I hope will shift how we think about environmental work.
The heart of my research took me to the villages of Hakimpur and Achnar in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh. Over several days, I lived alongside tribal and rural women, observing their routines and listening to their stories. What I witnessed was nothing short of inspiring. These women weren’t just homemakers or caregivers, they were stewards of the environment, weaving sustainability into the fabric of their daily lives. I watched as they decorated earthenware with natural pigments made from turmeric and beetroot, a practice that avoids the harmful chemicals found in commercial dyes. They herded livestock with an intuitive understanding of the land, ensuring pastures weren’t overgrazed. During festivals, they participated in rituals that honored nature, like tying sacred threads to trees as a symbol of protection and gratitude. One woman, Shanti, who belonged to Baiga tribe told me, “We’ve always used what the earth gives us, it’s how we show our love for her.” These acts, though small, preserved the ecological balance in ways that modern climate policies often overlook.
But why are these contributions invisible? The EPAYF helped me connect the dots. Through weekly Zoom sessions, I engaged with mentors like Bhargavi S Rao, Mr. Tikendra singh Panwar and many more mentors, who are environment activists. We explored how climate change disproportionately impacts marginalized groups rural women, for instance, who often lack a voice in decision-making. This echoed what I’d read in Bina Agarwal’s Gender and Green Governance, which argues that women’s collective agency is frequently excluded from resource management frameworks. Nandini Sundar’s Subalterns and Sovereigns further highlighted how tribal women’s roles are erased in state narratives, a pattern I saw firsthand in Khajuraho. These women’s environmental work isn’t just uncelebrated, it’s structurally ignored by policies that prioritize measurable outcomes over lived traditions.
My project for the fellowship became a mission to reframe “environmental work” through a gendered lens. I aimed to document these women’s everyday practices, highlight the role of tradition in ecological care, and challenge the gender-blindness in climate policy frameworks. Using a mix of ethnographic research, secondary literature. The EPAYF wasn’t just about research—it was about growth. Sessions on disaster-resilient urban planning, rainwater conservation, and the private sector’s role in sustainability broadened my perspective. I learned to critically evaluate frameworks like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), asking: Are they truly inclusive? The SDGs aim for gender equality and environmental sustainability, but in rural India, where 66% of adults lack digital literacy (NSSO, 2023), these goals often feel distant. Women in Hakimpur and Achnar don’t have access to the digital tools or platforms that policymakers use to gather data or input. Their voices and their contributions—remain unheard, perpetuating a cycle of exclusion.
Reflecting on my fieldwork, I was struck by the resilience of these women. They weren’t just adapting to environmental challenges they were actively shaping a sustainable future. Take Rani, a 45-year-old mother who shared how her community collects rainwater in clay pots, a practice passed down through generations. Or Maya, who plants native trees around her home to prevent soil erosion, a habit she learned from her grandmother. These women aren’t waiting for policy directives they’re acting out of love for their land and their families. Yet, their efforts are rarely acknowledged in India’s climate narrative, which often prioritizes urban solutions or large-scale projects.
This fellowship made me realise that true climate action starts by listening to those closest to the land. The women of Khajuraho are unseen guardians, preserving India’s ecological heritage in ways that are both practical and profound. My presentation, which I’ll share live with policy inclined audiences, aims to amplify their voices. By blending visuals, quotes, and research, I hope to create an emotionally engaging experience that also makes a research-backed case for change. I want policymakers to see what I saw: that sustainability isn’t just about numbers or targets—it’s about culture, community, and the quiet power of women’s everyday choices.
As I look ahead, I’m inspired to carry this work forward. The EPAYF has equipped me with the skills to advocate for inclusive environmental policies, ones that value the contributions of rural women and ensure their voices shape India’s climate future. These women aren’t just part of the solution they’re leading the way, showing us a path to sustainability that’s rooted in equity and tradition. My hope is that their stories will inspire a larger vision for climate action, one that finally recognizes the unseen guardians who’ve been protecting our planet all along.
References:
∙ Agarwal, B. (2010). Gender and Green Governance. Oxford University Press.
∙ Sundar, N. (1997). Subalterns and Sovereigns. Oxford University Press.
∙ National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). (2023). Socio-Economic Survey: Digital Literacy and Voter Turnout. Government of India.
Acknowledgement: I am thankful for the continuous guidance, intellectual support, and the collaborative spirit that IMPRI fosters in all its initiatives.
About the Contributor: Saniya Verma is a researcher at IMPRI, a fellow of EPAYF 2.0 – Environment Policy and Action Youth Fellowship, Cohort 2.0, and is currently pursuing an Honours degree in Sociology at the University of Delhi.
Disclaimer: All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.
Read more at IMPRI:
Depths of Concern: An Inquiry on Deep Sea Mining and Ocean Governance
Small Towns, Big Emissions: Why South Asia’s Unsung Urban Areas Deserve Climate Attention
Acknowledgment: This article was posted by Riya Rawat, researcher at IMPRI.
