Our new guide, Insurance to Impact, draws on experiences working with more than 300,000 women through the Women’s Climate Shock Insurance and Livelihoods Initiative (WCSI). Incorporating real-life examples across South and Southeast Asia, Africa and North America, this short guide explains CRA’s pioneering approach to using insurance to protect women’s health, income and dignity as temperatures rise.
A New Model for Heat Protection – Insurance Alone is Not Enough
Policy makers are increasingly recognizing that women workers stand on the frontlines of extreme heat. More than 300,000 women are now protected by parametric insurance for heat through CRA’s programs. Insurance has gained significant attention as a tool — the 2024 India program with SEWA demonstrated its power at scale.
Why Read the Guide?
Insurance to Impact is a first-of-its-kind practical, evidence-based, women-centered roadmap for using insurance as part of a comprehensive strategy to protect women from extreme heat. Readers will gain:
- A deeper understanding of extreme heat and its disproportionate impacts on women
- The ability to utilize CRA’s four guiding principles for effective heat resilience programs: Shrink the risk, insure the rest; Layer finance to expand protection; Knowledge builds agency; Co-design for trust & accuracy
- An understanding of a scalable approach that combines insurance with education, co-design, and layered finance
Real Impact, at Scale
CRA’s Women’s Climate Shock Insurance and Livelihoods Initiative (WCSI) combines five key components:
- Parametric heat insurance that pays out for the most severe conditions
- Direct cash support when heat limits health and income
- Practical women-designed risk-reduction tools including cooling stations, protective equipment, and hydration support
- Education and awareness through early warnings and health training
- Co-design with women, medical experts, meteorologists, and insurers
In 2024: 50,000 women in India were enrolled. 100% received cash payments when temperatures reached 38°C. 92% received insurance payouts at 41°C — totaling $600,000 USD. By 2025, the program expanded nearly five-fold to 225,000 women in 34 districts.
The heat crisis is here. But so are the solutions.