Parametric Heat and Rainfall Insurance for Informal Women Workers documents VimoSEWA’s pioneering climate insurance prototype designed for informal women workers in Ahmedabad and surrounding districts.
Developed through a community-led process, the study examines how parametric insurance can strengthen climate resilience in the face of rising heat stress, erratic rainfall, income disruptions, and growing care burdens. Combining grassroots consultations, cooperative governance, and partnerships with insurtech providers, VimoSEWA developed affordable, trigger-based insurance products that offer automatic payouts when predefined weather thresholds are crossed.
The research explores women workers’ perceptions of climate risk, barriers to insurance uptake, the role of trust and social behaviour change communication, and the potential of cooperative institutions to expand climate protection for vulnerable communities. It offers practical insights for designing gender-responsive climate insurance systems that are accessible, scalable, and rooted in the realities of informal work.
