Heatwaves Kill More Women Than Men
· news
Heatwaves Kill More Women, But It’s Not Biology That’s to Blame
A recent spate of heatwaves across Europe has highlighted a disturbing trend: more women are dying from the heat than men. The initial reaction has been to blame biology – hormones, body fat, and sweat rates have all been cited as reasons why women seem more vulnerable to heat stress.
However, researchers say this narrative is oversimplified and even wrong. In 2022, a study found that in 35 countries across Europe, there were 56% more heat-related deaths among women than men. This summer, Germany has seen its deadliest heat season since 2016, with nearly 9,800 heat-related deaths by mid-July.
The Robert Koch Institute attributes the higher female death toll to the fact that women make up a larger share of the oldest age groups. However, experts argue that biology is not the main reason for this discrepancy. Alexandra Schneider, an environmental epidemiologist at Helmholtz Munich, notes that studies show only slightly more vulnerability to heat in women compared to men.
The differences that do exist are real – women have a lower sweat rate and less skin area relative to body size – but they’re not the primary cause of the higher mortality rate. The real risk factor is exposure: women’s working conditions, social environment, and age all play a significant role in their increased vulnerability to heat stress.
In industries such as construction, garment factories, farming, and others, women spend 30% to 50% more of their working time above heat-stress thresholds than men. This is not because they’re biologically more susceptible to heat, but because they often wear more clothing for the same job, are less likely to ask for breaks, and have less visible or recognized heat risks.
Laurie Parsons, a researcher at Royal Holloway, University of London, compares this phenomenon to asbestos exposure. While men’s heat stress is like a plane crash – sudden, visible, and recognizable – women’s heat stress is more like asbestos poisoning: slow, constant, and easy to overlook. This difference in working conditions and exposure contributes significantly to the higher mortality rate among women.
The research gap on women’s vulnerability to heat stress is staggering. As Toby Mündel, a kinesiology professor at Brock University in Canada, notes, “We have about a hundred times as much data and evidence on men. We have nearly zero on women.” This lack of data perpetuates a vicious cycle: because women’s heat stress is not recognized or taken seriously, they’re less likely to seek help, and more likely to suffer from long-term health consequences.
Policymakers must acknowledge that women’s working conditions and exposure play a critical role in their increased vulnerability to heat stress. By recognizing this, we can begin to address the underlying structural issues – unequal pay, lack of breaks, inadequate recognition of heat risks – that contribute to women’s mortality rate during heatwaves.
Ultimately, it’s not biology that’s to blame for the higher mortality rate among women in heatwaves. It’s our failure as a society to recognize and address the complex interplay of factors that make them more vulnerable.
Reader Views
- RJReporter J. Avery · staff reporter
The heatwave's disproportionate toll on women is more than just biology. What's striking is that this imbalance isn't just about mortality rates - it's also a symptom of systemic issues like unequal work arrangements and inadequate support for vulnerable populations. The article correctly highlights the role of exposure in exacerbating heat stress, but we need to consider what this means for urban planning and policy decisions. How can cities mitigate the effects of extreme heat on marginalized groups? Simply expanding cooling centers might not be enough; we must rethink how we design workplaces, public spaces, and social services to prioritize human well-being during heatwaves.
- CMColumnist M. Reid · opinion columnist
The data is clear: heatwaves are killing more women than men, but it's not biology that's to blame. The real issue lies in the societal and economic factors that put women at greater risk of heat stress. We need to look beyond the simplistic narrative of female physiology and examine the working conditions that leave women exposed to extreme temperatures. Consider the garment factories where women are often forced to work long hours without adequate breaks or protective gear, their bodies sweltering under layers of fabric. Until we address these systemic inequalities, more lives will be lost to heatwaves.
- EKEditor K. Wells · editor
What's striking about this trend is how the conversation often centers on women's biology rather than their circumstances. While it's true that exposure plays a significant role in heat stress, we should also consider the societal and economic factors at play. For instance, many women in developing countries rely on informal work arrangements, which often lack basic protections like shade or water breaks. Without acknowledging these structural issues, we risk reinforcing the notion that women are inherently more vulnerable to extreme weather events – a narrative that only serves to perpetuate inequality and neglect.