Dia Mirza double downs on linking patriarchy to climate crisis: ‘Stand by my statement’

According to the actor, women and girls are often the first to experience the effects of climate disruption. She pointed to issues such as water scarcity, food insecurity, displacement caused by floods and droughts, and the loss of livelihoods, arguing that these challenges disproportionately affect women and vulnerable communities.

“When water sources dry up, it’s usually women who walk further to collect water. When crops fail, food becomes scarce, or families are displaced by floods, droughts and storms, women and children are often the most vulnerable,” she said.

 

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Dia also claimed that climate-related disasters often contribute to increases in gender-based violence, child marriage and trafficking. At the same time, she stressed that women are among the most important drivers of environmental action.

“Women are not only among the most affected, they’re also among the most powerful agents of change. From protecting forests and conserving seeds, to managing water resources and leading community resilience efforts, women have always been at the forefront of caring for the natural world,” she said.

The actor added that tackling climate change is about more than reducing emissions.

“For me, climate action is not only about reducing emissions, it’s about reimagining our relationship with each other and with the Earth. Because climate justice and gender justice are inseparable, we cannot build a sustainable future on a foundation of inequality,” she said.

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‘I stand by my statement’

In the caption accompanying the video, Dia said she felt compelled to explain her position after seeing the online debate around her remarks.

“Since so many of you are debating this, it is timely to explain as simply as one can. I stand by my statement, ‘Patriarchy caused the climate crises,'” she wrote.

Calling climate change “a crisis of inequality,” Dia argued that patriarchal systems have historically concentrated power and prioritised extraction over care.

“For centuries, patriarchal systems have concentrated power, prioritised extraction over care, and treated both nature and vulnerable communities as resources to be exploited rather than protected. Much like women and girls are treated in patriarchal societies,” she wrote.

She further argued that forests, rivers, oceans and ecosystems have long been treated as commodities, adding that the consequences of this mindset are now impossible to ignore. Referring to her conversation with environmental journalist Arati Kumar-Rao on the podcast All About Her, Dia said they discussed how economic structures built on extraction and domination have contributed to climate change.

“When we talk about climate action, we must also talk about justice. We must question the systems that reward endless extraction and consumption while undervaluing care, cooperation, and stewardship,” she wrote.

“The climate crisis is not only about carbon. It is about how we choose to relate to each other and to the natural world.”

What sparked the controversy?

The debate began after Dia appeared on Soha Ali Khan’s podcast All About Her alongside environmental journalist Arati Kumar-Rao. During the conversation, she linked climate change to patriarchal systems and argued that environmental degradation is tied to structures that prioritise extraction, control and unequal distribution of power.
A clip from the discussion soon went viral on social media, with some users supporting her argument while others criticised the comparison.