Bollywood actor and environmental advocate Dia Mirza has sparked a heated online debate after linking the climate crisis to patriarchal systems and saying that men have driven much of the environmental destruction. Her comments came during a conversation with Soha Ali Khan on the podcast All About Her, where the discussion focused on climate change, environmental degradation and society’s relationship with nature.
Mirza said that “patriarchy is the cause of climate change” and argued that systems built around domination, extraction and excessive consumption have contributed to environmental destruction. Environmental journalist and photographer Arati Kumar-Rao, who also appeared in the discussion, connected the conversation to ideas associated with ecofeminism, which examines links between environmental exploitation and systems of inequality.
The remarks quickly went viral on social media, prompting both criticism and support. Critics argued that attributing climate change primarily to patriarchy oversimplifies a crisis influenced by factors such as fossil-fuel use, industrialisation, economic systems, government policies and corporate emissions. Others viewed Mirza’s comments as a broader critique of power structures and the exploitation of natural resources.
Following the backlash, Mirza clarified that she was referring to patriarchal systems and structures of power rather than blaming all men individually. She said climate change is also a crisis of inequality and argued that environmental discussions should consider issues including extraction, consumption, social justice and the disproportionate effects of climate change on vulnerable communities.
