In line with the UNEP-IPEN partnership, the aim of this report is to show the impact chemicals have on women as a vulnerable group highly exposed to hazardous chemicals and gender inequalities related to decision-making around the management of chemicals and waste. The report also means to provide concrete steps that can be taken to safeguard the health of women and empower women in decision-making and in their roles as agents of change.
People of all gender identities must have the same rights and opportunities to participate fully in their communities, free from the health threats posed by toxic chemicals. It is especially important to understand the factors that put women at risk from chemical health threats.
Gothenburg, Sweden A new educational series will focus on the specific risks women face when exposed to toxic chemicals. The goal of the free, online course is to educate the public at large and to build a broad, woman-led leadership for addressing issues related to toxic chemical exposure. The first in the nine-part series will be available beginning 18 October 2021 and can be accessed at https://ipen.teachable.com.
Sara Brosché, author of Women, Chemicals, and the SDGs, released in 2021, said: “Women are disproportionally impacted by exposure to chemicals and wastes, but they are under-represented when decisions about chemical use and disposal are being made. At the same time, it is women who often become the key agents for change in their communities. In developing this educational program, International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN) hopes to encourage women to play a greater role in deciding when and how toxic chemicals are manufactured, used, and disposed of – at the community level as well as at national and international levels.”
IPEN Participating Organization HEAL has helped establish FREIA, a new EU research project developing Endocrine Disrupting Chemical (EDC) testing methods specifically focused on those EDCs that affect female reproductive health.
In 2017, an IPEN Women’s Caucus was established to provide a forum for planning, discussion, and engagement around gender issues. One of the three focus areas identified was to work on gender issues within the IPEN network, including creating opportunities for training and for women to share experiences.
An event titled, ‘Gender, Climate, Chemicals: Implementing SDG 12 and 13 with Gender-Responsive Policies,’ convened on the sidelines of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).
Directly following IPEN's preparatory meeting for the Basel-Rotterdam-Stockholm (BRS) 2019 Conferences of the Parties (COP), IPEN convened a Women’s Caucus Meeting and Policy Skillshare in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting was conducted as an informal round table conversation.
In 2017, an IPEN Women’s Caucus was established to provide a forum for planning, discussion, and engagement around gender issues. One of the three focus areas identified was to work on gender issues within the IPEN network, including creating opportunities for training and for women to share experiences.
Not surprisingly, nearly half of the 188 Goldman Prize winners have been women.
To commemorate Women’s History Month, the Goldman Environmental Prize is celebrating the work of the 79 extraordinary women who won the Prize. Here are three of their stories.
