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Paper short abstract:

This paper will be looking at the vulnerabilities of Indigenous women in climate crises from the global south. From a gendered perspective lens and asking the critical question of. Who is the concept of climate justice really for?

Paper long abstract:

In the 21st century, large-scale natural disasters continue to disrupt lives across the globe. Despite ambitious global goals to combat climate change, significant progress remains elusive. Paradoxically, the communities least responsible for the climate crisis-such as Indigenous populations-suffer its most severe consequences. This disparity has led to the concept of climate justice, aimed at ensuring equitable outcomes in the face of ecological crises.

In recent years, Western nations have increasingly turned to Indigenous knowledge systems as a potential solution to climate change. While Indigenous practices often offer valuable insights, can it be considered fair to look to Indigenous communities for solutions when they are grappling with the impacts of cultural erosion, and historical injustices rooted in colonialism and neoliberal state policies? Moreover, Indigenous knowledge systems are shaped by generations of interactions within specific landscapes and expecting them to address global crises ignores their contextual specificity.

Through ethnographic fieldwork conducted in North Bengal, India. This research investigates the lived experiences of Indigenous communities, mainly focusing on the gendered dimension of climate vulnerability. Women, often the custodians of traditional ecological knowledge, bear a disproportionate burden as they sustain both their communities and their knowledge systems amidst systemic neglect. This paper argues that climate justice, as it is currently conceptualised, risks perpetuating inequality by overlooking the compounded vulnerabilities faced by Indigenous women. Without meaningful structural support from broader society and the state, climate justice remains an unfulfilled promise that raises the question: Who is climate justice really for ?