Enabling women to improve their cities
In Bijal Brahmbhatt’s home country of India, the most vulnerable populations are those contributing the least to climate change, yet feeling the effects the most. Yet her organization, Mahlia Housing Trust, believes that the women in these communities have the power to drive progress towards more sustainable and gender-inclusive cities. They just need the right knowledge and the right tools. That’s what Mahlia Housing Trust is all about. “How do women become leaders so that they reach the very last mile, so that they get heat resilient housing for everyone, and quality water, and so that malaria is eradicated?” she says. For almost 30 years, Mahlia Housing Trust has mobilized women to exercise their civic rights and empowered them to take charge of their habitat improvement process. By forging unique relationships with poor communities and local governments, the organization has advanced access to basic services, promoted climate resilience, and deepened participatory governance.