Women and Chemicals the Impact of Hazardous Chemicals on Women a Thought Starter Based on an Experts‘ Workshop
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Women and Chemicals The impact of hazardous chemicals on women A thought starter based on an experts‘ workshop WECF WICF WECF I Women in Europe for a Common Future Women International for a Common Future I WICF About this publication This publication was made possible thanks to the financial and expert support of UNEP. This publication aims to provide knowledge and perspectives on the issue of women and chemicals. It was prepared by WECF and developed based on an expert workshop organised jointly with UNEP in Geneva. The experts helped to identify the themes for the publication and sources of data and information, and were engaged in the reviewing of the publication. WECF is grateful for the support provided by UNEP without this publication would not have been possible. Impressum Authors: Alexandra Caterbow, Johanna Hausmann, WECF Research assistant: Maya Yadav, WECF Production coordination: Alexandra Caterbow, WECF For more information please contact: [email protected] Cover and production: Véronique Grassinger, www.vgdesign.info Layout: Heike Brückner, www.grafikstudio-auw.de, Krisztina André, WECF ©2016 WECF (publication completed mid 2015) WECF WICF WECF I Women in Europe for a Common Future Women International for a Common Future I WICF www.wecf.eu WECF Netherlands WECF Germany WECF France Korte Elisabethstraat 6 St.-Jakobs-Platz 10 Cité de la Solidarité Internationale NL – 3511 JG Utrecht D – 80331 Munich 13 Avenue Emile Zola Phone + 31 - 30 - 2 31 03 00 Phone + 49 - 89 - 23 23 93 80 F – 74100 Annemasse Fax + 31 - 30 - 2 34 08 78 Fax + 49 - 89 - 23 22 39 38 11 Phone + 33 - 450-49 97 38 Fax + 33 - 4 50-49 97 38 The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the United Nations Environment Programme concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Moreover, the views expressed do not necessarily represent the deci- sion or the stated policy of the United Nations Environment Programme, nor does citing of trade names or commercial processes consti- tute endorsement. Images Title: Larry C. Price / Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting; page 6: John Wickens / IPEN; page 9: WECF; page 11: Frau mit Kind: © Somwaya/fotolia; page 12: Pierre Dujardin; page 13: WECF; page 14: WECF; page 20: baby© detailblick/fotolia; page 22: © Pitopia, Adam Gregor, 2014“ page 24: Manny Calonzo/ GAIA; page 25: HerrSpecht / photocase.de; page 27: WECF; page 29: IPEN; page 31: WECF; page 32: By Ferdinand Reus from Arnhem, Holland (Djenné / women at work) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons; page 33: WECF; page 34: WECF; page 36: IPEN; page 39: WECF; page 40: WECF; page 43: WECF; page 46: John Wickens / IPEN; page 48: WECF; page 51: WECF; page 52: WECF; page 53: WECF; page 55: WECF; page 62: WECF 2 Women and Chemicals The impact of hazardous chemicals on women A thought starter based on an experts‘ workshop 3 Content 1 Summary 6 5 Women as agents of change 46 2 Why focus on women and chemicals? 8 6 What are the main harmful Women, sustainable development substances that women are and chemicals 8 exposed to? 49 Biological determinants 10 Existing lists of harmful chemicals 49 Susceptible windows of development 10 Transgenerational effects 10 Chemicals discussed: EDCs, highly hazardous Content pesticides, POPs, lead and mercury 50 Gender and social determinants 11 Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) 50 Roles and tasks of women and men 11 Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) 51 Links: discrimination, poverty, education, Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) 51 public participation and access to resources 12 Heavy metals – lead and mercury 52 Scientific limitations 14 3 Women’s health under threat 17 7 Existing initiatives 54 Breast cancer 17 International Organisations 54 Infertility 20 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 54 UN Women 56 4 Where are women exposed BRS Conventions Secretariat 56 to chemicals? 25 Strategic Approach to International Women as consumers 25 Chemicals Management (SAICM) 57 Chemicals in products 26 World Health Organisation (WHO) 57 Women at home 30 United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP) 57 Toxic building materials 30 International Labour Organisation (ILO) 57 Indoor air pollution 30 Non-governmental Organisations 58 Typical exposure source at home – Business 58 cleaning detergents 31 Women at the workplace 33 Governments 59 Women in agriculture 33 Women in industry 36 Conclusions and recommendations 61 Women in the informal sector 37 Women in services 38 Women as mothers 39 Bibliography 63 Pregnant women 39 Abbreviations 65 Breast milk contamination 40 Women in their environment 42 Summary This report aims to summarize existing information and initiatives increasingly large body of evidence points to severe, irreversible on the topic of women and chemicals. This report is a thought and long term health effects of specific hazardous chemicals on starter and was informed by and developed subsequent to an women’s health, especially the health of pregnant women and the expert workshop held at UNEP’s offices in Geneva in 2014 and foetus. There is a lack of recognition by policy makers and transla- organised by WECF International. The workshop brought togeth- tion into concrete protection measures, legislation and norms. er leading global experts on chemicals and health. It was decid- Legislation to inform and protect women and men from ed to focus on the particular impacts from exposure to hazard- chemical related health risks is weak in many countries. A specific ous chemicals, taking into account biological and socio-eco- policy focus on women with their different circumstances and nomic aspects of women´s lives. A further complementary scop- needs in their role of protecting children from hazardous chemi- ing study is planned at a later stage to consider the particular role cals during their first months and years of development, is mostly 1of and impact on men. This report on women and chemicals non-existent. The few initiatives there are on awareness raising, does not claim to present an exhaustive overview of all available empowerment and capacity building carry almost no weight in data and information. Instead it aims to give an overview of the the bigger picture. Information for users and consumers such as topic from different perspectives, on health effects, exposures product labelling is not widely available. Yet it is very much need- and policies. It illustrates how the topic of women and chemicals ed. In parallel with increasing production of hazardous chemicals is currently covered in science and in activities of international and pesticides non-communicable diseases such as breast and organizations, governments, and civil society. other cancers, allergies and diabetes, all with links to chemical ex- posures, are on the rise. Breast cancer in particular is one of the During the preparation of the study it became clear how little at- most common causes of death for women worldwide. tention this topic receives, compared to other areas, for example So far only a few projects addressing chemical policies and studies on the impacts on women’s lives related to climate change programs specifically target women and they are mainly organ- or water management, which are much better documented. ized and implemented by NGOs. UNDP developed a six-step ap- There are almost no comprehensive studies and summaries cur- proach to integrate gender and chemical issues into national rently available on the topic of women and chemicals, although an development plans. However, this approach has yet to be imple- 6 Summary mented by governments. UNEP is developing a toolkit on pro- • collecting more gender and sex disaggregated data on issues tecting vulnerable groups from POPs and heavy metals; the pub- like exposure scenarios, impacts of hazardous chemicals on lication is still in process. women’s health, activities to reduce exposures for women; This report looks at health research, exposure data, and • developing indicators for better measurement of hazardous best practice policies to prevent exposure and health impacts. chemicals’ impacts on women, especially through more re- However, protection of women from hazardous chemicals is search on sources and pathways of exposure. not enough. Women also have to be empowered as agents of change. With better information on the specific links between Yet with the information at hand, immediate concrete action can their health and hazardous chemicals, women can play a sig- be taken by: nificant role as active supporters of the “2020 goal” of imple- • issuing a handbook on women and chemicals, with articles menting the sound management of chemicals throughout from experts presenting the latest in-depth information and their life cycle. Well-informed individuals need to cooperate on research on women and chemicals; legislative development, enforcement, capacity building, pro- • supporting the issue of women and chemicals as a priority is- duction of safer alternatives, information and awareness raising, sue under the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals to ensure that chemicals are produced and used in ways that Management (SAICM); minimize significant adverse impacts on human health and the • integrating a gender focus into existing funding schemes; environment worldwide. • allocating and providing funding for projects on women and There is little comprehensive information available on the chemicals. risks of hazardous chemicals to women’s health; this study in- tends to make the first step to fill this gap. It shows that numer- To support the goal of empowering women and protecting ous scientific studies link exposure to hazardous chemicals with them from hazardous chemicals, the following immediate action development of certain diseases and disorders including breast points are recommended: cancer, obesity, and infertility, which are most commonly experi- • make the most vulnerable group, in this case children and enced by women.