Welcome to our project website on gender and chemicals
Gender is relevant to chemicals and waste management in many ways – but this does not receive enough attention. Hence, inequalities can be worsened, and policy-making and implementation are not as good and effective as they could be. MSP Institute has been advocating for the integration of gender in (inter)national chemicals management since 2017.
Why Gender and Chemicals?
Our information video explains this in 2 minutes:
- Women’s and men’s bodies are affected differently by certain chemicals – exposure, risk, and impacts can be different between the sexes.
- Gender, as a social category, is linked to gender-specific norms of behaviour, roles in society as well as the development of ‘feminine’ and ‘masculine’ identities, which in turn influence people’s behaviour, including their impact on the environment, their affectedness by environmental degradation, and their access to and power over resources.
- Gender analysis allows to ask questions that help us understand and unpack root causes of unsustainable behaviour and societies, and hence have a transformational potential. We need to tap into this potential in order to bring about sustainable development, justice and peace.
(You can find more information and references in our overview paper here.)
Our current projects on gender and chemicals:
Project “Gender and Chemicals- for a gender-responsive chemicals management”
January 2023 – December 2024
The project aims to further strengthen gender aspects in the political discourse and to involve relevant actors (international organizations, policy makers, industry, research and civil society) in the discourse, to integrate gender on a structural-organizational level in future policy instruments and programs and to strengthen the participation of women’s organizations and gender experts.
The project is financially supported by the German Federal Ministry the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection.
Seeking your input and advice: We are consulting with colleagues from women’s organisations, governments, UN and other stakeholders as well as individual experts on the project activities and goals. If you’re interested in discussing gender and chemicals issues, relevant processes, research and literature with us, please do let us know!
Contact us via info(at)msp-institute.org.
Stay informed about project news and activities – sign up for our newsletter.
You are involved in the SAICM process and want to be part of the “Women and Gender @ SAICM” mailing list? Just email to: anna.holthaus[at]msp-institute.org
