Neha Mankani, a midwife and founder of the Mama Baby Fund, joined us at SWGI for a powerful session on "Vulnerability, Resilience, and Unequal Impacts." Drawing from her extensive work in midwifery and climate justice, she highlighted how climate change disproportionately affects women, especially pregnant and postpartum mothers, as well as newborns. “Climate change doesn’t affect everyone equally, ”Midwife Neha Mankani says. She shared stories from her work on Baba Island, a densely populated fishing community off the coast of Karachi, where rising sea levels, extreme heatwaves, and polluted water create insurmountable challenges for women’s health. In these communities, expectant mothers often lack access to timely healthcare, leading to devastating outcomes such as miscarriages, preterm births, and stillbirths, particularly during the scorching summer months. Neha highlighted her initiatives, including setting up the island’s first maternal health clinics and launching a free 24/7 boat ambulance, which has been lifesaving for women previously unable to access emergency care.

She also spoke about the daily struggles women face, such as cooking in extreme heat and caring for newborns without clean water or electricity, and shared practical advice despite the challenges of limited resources.