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Siddharth spent two months last summer working on gender-inclusive climate action initiatives with Reimagining Society, an international nonprofit focused on building inclusive and sustainable communities. He worked on several projects within the organization’s Reimagining Climate Initiative, including contributing to an impact tracker on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and preparing for the organization's Global Wellbeing Conference on Conflict Prevention, Gender Equality, and Climate Action. But the largest part of his internship was focused on research in the field, in rural Bhutan and India.

In his fieldwork, Siddharth encountered many examples of how climate and gender are inherently connected. He saw how women are often those most impacted by climate change, and therefore their perspectives are key to sustainable policymaking.  

“It became increasingly clear that gender mainstreaming is not just a box to be checked—it’s essential for creating effective, sustainable policies,” Siddharth wrote in his . “Women’s perspectives and experiences are vital to understanding how climate change impacts communities, and incorporating these insights leads to more resilient and inclusive solutions.”

In his blog, Siddharth detailed specific experiences from his summer that reinforced this perspective.

In Karnal, Haryana, a rural region of northeast India, he observed traditional, sustainable farming practices, including use of non-mechanical tools to maintain soil fertility and building homes from leftover wheat straw to provide natural insulation and offer an eco-friendly alternative to modern housing.

Also in Karnal, he visited a factory that produces eco-friendly cardboard from agricultural waste, which he wrote about as a case study for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Impact Tracker. The factory achieves multiple SDGs, Siddharth wrote in his blog – it reduces pollution from crop burning, provides sustainable packaging alternatives, and creates job opportunities for local women.

“This highlights the interconnected nature of sustainable development—the factory wasn’t just an eco-friendly initiative, but also a driver of gender empowerment in a region where women often face limited employment opportunities,” he said.

He added that his time in Karnal was “a humbling reminder that sometimes the climate solutions we seek are already embedded in the wisdom of communities that have been practicing sustainable living for centuries.”

In another region of India, Siddharth witnessed climate-related challenges faced by local communities and became aware of how gendered the impacts of climate change are.

Women in the areas he visited, “form the backbone of agricultural labor [and] face a multitude of challenges that often go unnoticed in larger policy discussions,” Siddharth wrote in his blog. “While I expected to hear about the usual suspects—lack of mechanization, insufficient training, and inadequate storage facilities—what struck me most was the unexpected revelation of the groundwater crisis.”

The women he spoke with explained how the water table dropping significantly has made it difficult to irrigate fields, leading to reduced crop yields and higher farming costs.

“The combination of rising input costs, poor yields due to the water crisis, and a lack of market access has left them struggling to feed their families,” he wrote. “I could see the frustration and fear in their faces as they spoke about how they are barely able to keep up with the rising costs of living. Without immediate intervention, the future of farming in these regions looks increasingly bleak.”

In Bhutan, conducting focus group discussions and household surveys with 60 women, Siddharth saw similar patterns.

He worked with Reimagining Society’s team to analyze Bhutan’s existing climate policies, which often overlook the unique challenges faced by women, particularly in areas like water management and disaster preparedness.

“Rural women in Bhutan, who are often most affected by climate change, are also the most underrepresented in decision-making processes… and excluded from discussions about adaption strategies,” Siddharth wrote in his blog. “My task was to help identify how the government could elevate these voices, bringing their insights and perspectives into the national climate agenda.”

Insights from his work included that women’s roles in agriculture and household management make them particularly vulnerable to consequences of climate change, and that women with access to education and social networks are better equipped to adapt in the face of these challenges.

In his analysis, ideas for potential solutions included improving land ownership, education, and decision-making platforms for women to build climate resilience. He said that the Reimagining Society team aims to use the research he helped conduct to inform policymakers and organizations working on climate adaptation in Bhutan.

“I feel a deep sense of responsibility to ensure that the data we collected is used to drive meaningful change that will improve the lives of the women who generously shared their stories with us,” he said, “and the many more who are navigating the complex challenges of climate change.”

At the end of his internship, Siddharth was given the opportunity to presented findings and reflections from his projects to the team at Reimagining Society.

In his presentation – and on his blog – he shared key learnings on the importance of inclusive policymaking, data-driven decision-making, and adaptability in diverse contexts.

“Presenting my work was a powerful reminder of why I chose this field, a validation of my passion for gender equality and sustainability, and a reminder of the responsibility we all share in driving positive change,” Siddharth wrote in his final blog post. “This internship has given me the tools, knowledge, and confidence to continue on this path—and I am excited to see where it leads next.”