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.
Yuyun Ismawati, co-founder and senior advisor of Nexus3 Foundation, has dedicated her career to understanding the impact of chemicals on women. With over 25 years of experience, Yuyun has developed a deep understanding of the complex issues surrounding chemicals and their effects on women's health.
By Tripti Arora, Coordinator, IPEN South Asia Hub, IPEN Gender Coordinator
As plastic pollution spirals into a full-scale environmental and health crisis, the world is witnessing mounting calls for urgent, comprehensive action. A Global Plastics Treaty is now on the agenda, aiming to curb the toxic toll of plastics across ecosystems and communities. Yet, to be truly effective, this treaty needs to acknowledge a crucial but often overlooked dimension: gender.
In today's world, our homes are increasingly filled with a myriad of chemicals and toxins that can have profound impacts on the health and development of our little ones. It is up to women to take the lead in identifying and eliminating these hidden dangers to create a true haven for our children.
The following is from a talk by Johanna Hausmann, a senior policy advisor on chemicals and waste for Women Engage for a Common Future, WECF, a member organisation of IPEN. Johanna has a Masters degree in political science and her focus is on the health impacts from harmful chemicals, especially on pregant women and children and endocrine disrupting chemicals, taking the gender aspect into account. Her goals are better protection from and phasing out of harmful chemicals. She promotes awareness programmes and is engaged in policy processes to achieve a toxic-free future.
Born in Nairobi, Kenya, where my father was a teacher and my mother a farmer, I must confess that the issue of pollution - any type of pollution, never bothered anyone in my community. Of course, we knew the theory that “smoke is harmful to health,” but that was it!
On Tuesday 23 April, more than 20 women attended the IPEN Women’s Caucus meeting in Ottawa, Canada, during the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-4), in Ottawa, Canada.
It has only been a few years since I graduated from college with a degree in Chemistry and Environmental Science. Recently, there have been more female graduates at my university, and shortly after graduation, I began working for the NGO Arnika, transitioning from a predominantly female academic environment to an NGO that also has many women on staff.
