Earlier this year, as Jharkhand marked 25 years of its formation, it took to the World Economic Forum in Davos with a clear proposition: That its future growth will be anchored in women’s agency. This is not a rhetorical shift, but one grounded in lived realities and increasingly supported by evidence that women-led collectives deliver more resilient development outcomes.AdvertisementJharkhand, home to 8.3 per cent of India’s tribal population, is defined by Sal and Mahua forests central to its socio-economic fabric. The state’s 32 million people, many of them Adivasi communities whose identities are inseparable from the forest, are on the frontlines of a climate emergency that threatens both livelihood and culture. And yet, some of the most decisive responses are emerging not from state capitals or climate summits, but from women sitting together in self-help groups talking about water, crops and survival.Also Read | On climate change, India has a good story to tellWith close to three lakh SHGs across the state, facilitated by the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS), this network has evolved beyond financial inclusion to become one of the densest platforms for women’s collective action in the country. Nationally, over 90 million women are mobilised through SHGs, making this one of the largest grassroots institutional networks globally. These groups are not only strengthening livelihoods, but are also emerging as institutions of social transformation and have the potential to become the living backbone of community-led climate action.For women, particularly those from rural and forest-dependent communities, climate change is not an abstract concern. Gender and climate are deeply interconnected, with women and girls often bearing a disproportionate share of the impacts of climate change. Globally, women comprise nearly 43 per cent of the agricultural workforce, yet have significantly lower access to land, credit and climate-resilient technologies.AdvertisementAs primary caregivers, farmers and managers of household resources, women experience the first and most severe impacts. When water sources recede, it is women who walk longer distances. When forests shrink or crops fail due to climate change, it is women who manage food shortages and household resilience. These pressures often spill over into worsening outcomes for their health, education and livelihood, deepening existing gendered inequalities.Recognising the disproportionate burden that climate change places on women and girls, JSLPS has introduced specialised, interactive training modules on the interlinkages between gender and climate change equipping women from rural communities, with a grounded understanding of local climate impacts and the gendered dimensions of vulnerability across food security, health, nutrition, sanitation, financial security and social protection.But these modules go further than awareness.Delivered through trained community resource persons, the Setu Didis, these modules enable SHGs to analyse risks, map local vulnerabilities and develop practical, community-level action plans rooted in lived experience. Such decentralised planning models have been shown globally to improve adaptation outcomes by aligning interventions with local ecological realities. Critically, this knowledge does not stop at the SHG. It feeds into formal planning processes at the village level and will be integrated into Gram Panchayat Development Plans. This ensures that gendered climate realities shape climate decisions and finance at the local level.These climate action plans also leverage existing government schemes, which support community-led climate actions at ground. JSLPS has also been on the forefront of implementing several initiatives to promote climate-resilient livelihoods for women, leveraging its vast network of women SHGs across the state. JSLPS launched Palash in 2020, which brings together SHG women across the state, enabling them to move beyond local markets by providing essential market linkages for their products and produce.From pulses and spices to handicrafts, Palash products are sold through dedicated outlets and digital platforms, creating steady incomes for rural households. Evidence suggests that income diversification through such models can improve household resilience to climate shocks by up to 20-30 per cent. This economic empowerment strengthens climate resilience, helping families better withstand and adapt to environmental shocks.you may likeThe Birsa Harit Gram Yojana, which promotes orchard-based livelihoods on degraded lands, helping rural households, many led by women, to secure long-term income while enhancing green cover, is another example. Similarly, the JOHAR Project – Jharkhand Opportunities for Harnessing Rural Growth – focuses on diversifying rural income to withstand climate shocks by promoting the cultivation of high-yield, weather-resistant crops.By empowering women to understand, articulate and respond to climate challenges, the gender and climate module does more than build awareness; it produces the kind of informed, grounded leadership that community resilience actually depends on. In a state where water stress, forest degradation and erratic harvests fall heaviest on women and girls, this is not a peripheral intervention.The writer is a senior IAS officer who has served in key administrative roles across Jharkhand, as well as with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Election Commission of India