From Global Climate Crisis to Local Gendered Vulnerability: Lived Experiences of Pakistani Working-Women During Smog in Lahore

Abstract

Women participation in workforce is a global concern for women empowerment. One of the major concerns of women empowerment through job is reaching their workplace, especially in urban spaces, for urban regions are facing challenges related to the climate change, like smog, and other infrastructural issues. Lahore is one of the populated cities of Pakistan with population further increasing. The city is facing hazardous climate issues regarding smog, which causes many health issues but also inhibit the residents in commutation to their workplaces. This condition has multiplied the difficulties of the working women of Lahore, for they have household responsibilities along with the job activities. This paper has studied the gender employability and climate change as a global phenomenon to explore the social impact of smog on working women at Hameed Latif Hospital, Lahore. Although the issue of smog has been a recurring concern in the environment and public health in Lahore, its gendered community-level impacts are not well studied in local sociological research. The main objective of the study is to explore the impact of smog on the community participation and everyday social interaction of working women and to examine their perceptions of community and institutional responses related to smog. The study is framed around two research questions: What is the impact of smog on the community participation and daily life socialization of working women and what are the perceptions of working women regarding community and institutional response to smog in Lahore? The study is designed using a qualitative exploratory approach and is ethnographic in nature employing in-depth interviews and participant observation, as it was concerned with women lived experiences, perceptions, and meanings, and not with numerical measurement. The primary data were gathered from 12 adult working women of Hameed Latif Hospital by face to face semi structured interview with health professionals, administrative staff and supporting staff. To aid in the interpretation of participants' responses, field notes were also used. The analysis of the data was done using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis approach. The analysis resulted in six major themes: smog as a hindrance to everyday mobility, double burden of paid work and household duties, health discomfort and emotional stress, decreased community involvement, coping strategies and personal protection, and limited community and institutional response. The study found that smog is not only an environmental or health problem, but a gendered social problem that impacts women's mobility, emotional wellbeing, family life, work patterns and community life. The results indicate that there is a significant need for gender responsive workplace support, public awareness, and improved community-based response mechanisms.