This week, as temperatures soar across the UK and another heatwave dominates the headlines, women from Wen’s Climate Sisters programme will be taking their experiences directly to Parliament.
They are speaking as part of the launch of Green and Caring Homes for Gender Climate Justice, a new briefing from Wen and the Women’s Budget Group exploring the links between housing, climate change and inequality.
At Wen, we believe that the people most affected by climate change should help shape the solutions.
That’s why Climate Sisters is such an important part of our work. Through the programme, women from racialised and marginalised communities come together to share experiences, build confidence and develop collective responses to the climate crisis. Their insights help inform our campaigning, policy and advocacy work.
As the heatwave forces conversations about climate change, housing and adaptation, these are some of the experiences Climate Sisters want decision-makers to hear.
Climate change is already affecting everyday life
For Valerie Touchet, a Climate Sisters participant in Manchester, the recent heatwaves have brought home how quickly the climate is changing.
“Climate change is affecting the weather patterns that we are experiencing in our everyday lives”
“Some years back, weather like this was rare in Manchester. Now it looks like every year we’re breaking another life record, and it makes me wonder about the impact of climate change.
“What happened a few weeks ago with the heatwave in Manchester could be a reminder that climate change is not a long coming issue, it is affecting the weather patterns that we are experiencing in our everyday lives.
“What stands out is not just the heatwave, but how common these unusually warm periods are happening compared with previous years.”
Valerie’s reflections echo what many women in Climate Sisters have told us: climate change is no longer a future concern. It is already affecting how people live, work, care for their families and experience their homes.
When homes become too hot to live in
“We all had to sleep downstairs.”
For Salma Naz Gul, another Climate Sisters participant in Manchester, the recent heatwave had a direct impact on her family’s health and wellbeing.
“The heatwave over the past few weeks in the UK, especially in Manchester, had a big impact on our family. The weather was extremely hot, and the upstairs rooms became so warm that we could not sleep there.
“My husband, who has asthma, found it particularly difficult, and the children were also very uncomfortable. As a result, we all had to sleep downstairs in our small living room.
“Some of us slept on the sofa while others slept on the floor. In the evenings, we kept the windows open to let in fresh air, even though it did not always feel safe, because we had very few other options.
“The heatwave was also worrying because we heard reports that some people, including children, had died while swimming during the hot weather. I do not know how accurate these reports were, but hearing them made the situation feel even more frightening.”
Stories like Salma’s reveal how extreme heat is experienced inside homes and communities, and how existing health conditions, caring responsibilities and housing conditions can shape people’s ability to cope.
The cost of poor housing and extreme weather
“I always have to choose affordability over comfort.”
For Rafia, another Climate Sisters participant, poor housing and rising costs create challenges throughout the year.
“I always have to choose affordability over comfort, because being a single parent with my child can’t afford heating all the time even in extreme weather.
“It’s very cold in winter and very hot in summer, there is damp as well, and when it rains water leaks into the kitchen and rooms.”
Her experience highlights how many households are dealing with multiple, overlapping challenges at once: rising costs, poor housing conditions and increasingly extreme weather.
Why women’s lived experience must shape climate solutions
One of the aims of Climate Sisters is to create space for women not only to share their experiences, but to connect them to wider social and environmental issues and help shape solutions.
Valerie describes how taking part in the programme changed how she understood the challenges facing her community.
“Before I joined Climate Sisters, I didn’t think my experiences were connected to climate change. Now I can see how our homes, rising energy costs, our health and climate change are all linked.
“Where we live, our homes, has a huge impact on our health, safety and wellbeing. During heatwaves, we struggle to breathe and sleep. There is often no fresh air coming in. We have come to realise that these impacts depend on how well our homes are built and insulated.
“Homes that are well designed and properly insulated stay cooler during hot weather and warmer during cold weather. But many of our homes do not. Instead, they trap heat in summer and cold in winter, which can affect the health of both us and our families.
“I believe women need to be part of shaping the solutions. The women involved in this project know what works because we are living these challenges every day.
Decision-makers need to listen to the people most affected by poor housing and rising costs.
“A greener home should not be a luxury. Everyone deserves a home that is warm in winter, cool in summer and affordable to run.
“Good housing is about more than bricks and mortar. It’s about health, dignity, caring for our families and being able to thrive in our communities.”
Bringing lived experience to the centre of climate policy
Bringing lived experience to the centre is essential.
As Climate Sisters speak in Parliament this week, they are bringing more than personal stories. They are bringing expertise grounded in lived experience.
Their experiences show how climate change, housing, health and inequality intersect in everyday life. They highlight the realities behind the headlines about heatwaves and rising temperatures. And they offer valuable insights into the changes needed to create healthier, fairer and more resilient communities.
At Wen, we believe climate policy is stronger when it is shaped by the people most affected by the issues it seeks to address. That is why Climate Sisters matters and why these voices deserve to be heard.
Read Wen’s Take on the heatwave.
Green and Caring Homes for Gender Climate Justice sets out the evidence, lived experience and policy recommendations needed to create homes that are affordable, sustainable, resilient and designed around care.
