Gender at ICCM5

On September 25 th , 2023 the fifth session of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM5) opened in Bonn, Germany. The week-long conference witnessed significant strides in addressing gender issues within sustainable chemicals and waste management. Simultaneously, the conference served as a platform for various events and discussions focused on women and gender. This underscored the growing recognition of the crucial role that gender equality plays in achieving a safe, healthy, and sustainable future, including concerning matters relating to chemicals, waste and pollution.

Thanks to the engagement and advocacy work of various women’s organizations and gender experts, gender equality is now one principle of the new Global Framework on Chemicals – For a Planet Free of Harm from Chemicals and Waste that was agreed in Bonn. In addition, language on gender has been included in the Bonn Declaration, and a specific resolution on gender was adopted: “Mainstreaming a gender perspective and promoting gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls in chemicals and waste management,” which includes the development of a gender action plan until the sixth session of the conference (ICCM6, 2026).

MSP institute has been involved in the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) Beyond 2020 process since 2018, dedicating its efforts to shape the discussions from a gender perspective. The team has played a pivotal role in advancing gender advocacy and championing the inclusion of gender as a foundational pillar in the new framework. At ICCM5, MSP Institute assisted in the organization and facilitation of knowledge sharing at the “women and gender” information stand and the organization of the “women and gender at SAICM” group in order to broaden the resources of gender experts working within the framework. This brought together colleagues from various stakeholder groups, sectors and parts of the world and allowed coordination of efforts towards reaching the desired agreements. In this vein, MSP Institute also supported the participation of gender expert Mrinalini Rai, founder of Women4Biodiversity.

The team also worked on the creation and presentation of the gender resolution, which reflects the collective efforts of all stakeholders to prioritize gender considerations within the new framework. The team was also happy to support the German Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUV) at the “High-Level Breakfast on Chemicals and Gender.

MSP Institute was particularly pleased to organize a Side Event to launch the Gender and Chemicals Partnership – G&CP which had been under preparation for the better part of 2023. Governments, international organisations, women’s organisations and gender experts, and stakeholders from civil society, science and the private sector work together in the G&CP to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in chemicals management, and to support addressing the global pollution crisis and contributing to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. The partnership is now being developed further, guided by the interim Board which includes the Federal Environment Ministry of Germany, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, UNITAR, and ZDCHMSP Institute is happy to serve as the Secretariat of the G&CP.

Additionally, the above-mentioned resolution on gender was presented to the conference, and adopted by all stakeholders. The resolution, “requests the Secretariat, with the participation of interested stakeholders, to develop a gender action plan for consideration by the Conference at its next session to advance towards full, equal and meaningful participation by all women in decision-making, and to promote gender-responsive policies and mainstreaming a gender perspective in the implementation of the framework.” The inclusion of a gender action plan in the newly adopted Global Framework on Chemicals underscores stakeholders’ commitment to gender considerations as a gender action plan is a central, and proven, instrument for gender mainstreaming. This aspect of the resolution emphasizes the need for gender considerations to be made also on the national level. The resolution emphasizes this through the request for stakeholders, “to include information on progress made in mainstreaming a gender perspective in their reports to the Conference.” It also encourages all stakeholders to support interim actions towards the aforementioned goals, and “requests the Secretariat to foster collaboration, as appropriate, with secretariats of MEAs and with relevant UN agencies and programs, including UN-Women, OHCHR, and other relevant partners in the field of gender equality.”

Finally, integration of gender-specific language and considerations have been incorporated into two targets within the Global Framework on Chemicals – For a Planet Free of Harm from Chemicals and Waste. Notably, Target B5 underscores the imperative of developing and fostering education related to sustainable chemicals management with a focus on doing so while “taking into consideration a gender responsive approach.” Concurrently, Target B7 focuses on the necessity for the generating and collection of data, with a specific emphasis on data “disaggregated by sex.”

The Global Framework on Chemicals marks a significant stride in recognizing gender considerations, demonstrating an amplified commitment to inclusivity. Despite the intricacies of negotiations, the conference forged a more gender-responsive blueprint for the framework, laying the groundwork for its effective implementation.

In pursuit of consensus, challenges persist: Deliberations encountered limitations as regards more advanced gender related language, and the new framework refrains from embracing robust gender terminology. Terms such as “gender-responsive approaches” and “gender-disaggregated data” remained contentious. This shows that our path towards gender inclusivity is a dynamic one, shaped by discussions marked not only by different views but also by varying levels of expertise and knowledge. Geopolitical conflicts added further complexity, influencing conversations on critical issues like human rights and gender equality.

However, looking back to the achievements of ICCM5, MSP Institute sees the new Global Framework on Chemicals as a symbol of the future and the progress that is possible. Despite lack of unanimous endorsement for all gender considerations, a spotlight has been placed on the ongoing dialogue regarding gender equality in sustainable chemicals management. The path towards developing and implementing gender-responsive chemicals and waste management globally has come into view. MSP Institute remains encouraged and energized to build on the progress made at ICCM5 – together with colleagues from all parts of the world, all sectors, and all stakeholder groups.

Annex

Gender in the new Global Framework on Chemicals

I. Introduction

3. (…) Exposure to hazardous chemicals and waste throughout their supply chains and life cycles threatens human health and disproportionately impacts vulnerable and at-risk groups.[1]

IV. Principles and approaches

D. Groups in vulnerable situations

  1. Exposure to chemicals and waste often disproportionately affects people in vulnerable situations, including children, youth, the elderly, persons with disabilities, women, workers, migrants, farmers, people living in poverty and Indigenous Peoples and local communities. The implementation of the framework should take these groups into consideration when protecting human health and the environment.

E. Gender equality

17. Women are agents of change and are essential to addressing the issues of chemicals and waste. The framework advances gender equality through their full and equal participation and gender inclusive approaches in all aspects of the implementation of the framework, including in decision-making

V. Strategic objectives and targets

B. Targets

Target B5 – By 2030, educational, training and public awareness programmes on chemical safety, sustainability, safer alternatives and benefit of reducing chemicals and waste risks have been developed and implemented, taking into consideration a gender responsive approach.

Target B7 – By 2030, Stakeholders generate to the extent possible, and make available comprehensive and accessible monitoring and surveillance data and information on concentrations and potential exposure sources of chemicals in humans (disaggregated by sex, age, region, other demographic factors, and other relevant health determinants as feasible), other biota and environmental media.

Annex A

Issues of concern
I. Submission of information

  1. When an issue is nominated, the following information should be provided:
  2. Impacts on human health and/or the environment related to the issue, taking into account vulnerable and at-risk populations (especially women, children, youth and workers), biodiversity, ecosystems and available toxicological, ecotoxicological, environmental fate and behaviour, and exposure data;

Annex B

Principles and approaches

  1. Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, (1995)
  2. Conclusions of the Sixtieth Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, (2016)
  3. The following agreements, where applicable:
  4. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, (1979);

Gender in the Bonn declaration

  1. Chemicals often have impacts on human health, particularly on women and children. Gender equality can support the sound management of chemicals and waste.
  2. We are determined to reach our vision of a planet free of harm from chemicals and waste for a safe, healthy and sustainable future. We therefore commit in a spirit of solidarity and partnership to implement the Global Framework on Chemicals – For a planet free of harm from chemicals and waste, to increase global ambition and action, including: Agreed ad ref.

(…)

  1. Protecting human health, particularly of women and children, with special attention to early childhood; Agreed ad ref.

Gender resolution

“Mainstreaming a Gender Perspective and Promoting Gender Equality and Empowerment of All Women and Girls in Chemicals and Waste Management”

Outcome: In its resolution (SAICM/ICCM.5/CRP.12), the Conference:

  1. requests the Secretariat, with the participation of interested stakeholders, to develop a gender action plan for consideration by the Conference at its next session to advance towards full, equal and meaningful participation by all women in decision-making, and to promote gender-responsive policies and mainstreaming a gender perspective in the implementation of the framework;
  2. encourages all stakeholders to support interim actions towards the aforementioned goals;
  3. requests the Secretariat to foster collaboration, as appropriate, with secretariats of MEAs and with relevant UN agencies and programmes, including UN-Women, OHCHR, and other relevant partners in the field of gender equality, in relation to the implementation of the framework; and
  4. invites all stakeholders to include information on progress made in mainstreaming a gender perspective in their reports to the Conference.

[1] Workers, farmers, women, children and youth, indigenous people, the elderly.

Tatiana Fett & Minu Hemmati, January 2024


Click here to download:

https://gender-chemicals.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/01.22.2024-Blog-Gender-at-ICCM5_pdf_2.pdf

Event report: launch of the Gender & Chemicals Partnership

During the negotiations on a Global Framework on Chemicals at the 5th session of the International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM5), which took place from 25 – 29 September 2023 in Bonn, Germany, a new multi-stakeholder partnership was launched: the Gender and Chemicals Partnership (G&CP).  

For decades it has been clear that chemicals often have gendered impacts on human health, and that gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls can support the sound management of chemicals and waste. However, gender-responsive chemicals management has hardly been realised worldwide. Therefore, in recent months, interested stakeholders from the world of chemistry, including governments, international organizations, civil society, academic institutions, and industry players came together to develop the G&CP with the support of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) and Partnerships2030 – and to finally launch it at the ICCM5.

In Bonn, about 25 participants joined the evening launch event on 28 September in the colourful restaurant of the World Conference Center Bonn.

First, Minu Hemmati (MSP Institute) welcomed the participants and introduced the topic of gender and chemicals by showing a short information video about the gender lens produced by the MSP Institute. Anna Holthaus (MSP Institute) then gave a short presentation about the new partnership and introduced its objectives, initial activities and further development process of the G&CP: Together the partners aim to jointly promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in chemicals management to make future chemicals management gender-transformative. To start, the G&CP will first focus on the following three activities: collaborating with UN and other intergovernmental organizations, including the Secretariats of related chemicals conventions and processes to raise visibility of and bring attention to the gendered dimensions of chemicals and wastes; supporting gender data collection and disaggregation by science, industry, and (inter)national statistical institutes; and supporting knowledge sharing and training. Therefore, the G&CP plans to finalize its governance structure and to do fundraising in the coming months, to hold a first G&CP Assembly next year and to develop a two-year implementation plan.

In a subsequent panel discussion, the interim board members represented by HE State Secretary Christiane Rohleder from BMUV, Jorge Ocaña from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), María Eugenia González Anaya from Mexico, and Mariella Noto from Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) shared in their statements why gender equality in chemicals management is important to them, why they consider the new multi-stakeholder partnership as necessary and what they wish for the partnership in the next year. High Excellency State Secretary Christiane Rohleder underlined in her speech that “we cannot continue ignoring gender as we have so far. We know too little about how gender impacts chemicals management and what impacts chemicals have on people of all genders. There continues to be a lack of comprehensive, gender-specific data and research on chemical contamination as well as instruments and strategies to implement gender-responsive chemicals management locally – we are sailing in uncharted waters” and she called on the participants and partners “Let’s begin charting a course and integrate gender-specific dimensions in all of our efforts for chemicals management. This is the only way we can reduce the adverse impacts of chemical exposure in people of all genders.” All interim board members reaffirmed their future cooperation for an urgently needed gender-responsive chemicals management and thanked BMUV and Partnerships2030 for their support in the initial phase of the MSP.

In an open discussion, participants then discussed the lack of gender data and research in chemicals management, as well as tools and strategies for gender mainstreaming. In addition to the need for gender data from human biomonitoring studies, participants mentioned the need for data on women’s use of chemicals in the private sphere and in chemical industry sectors, the need for qualitative research and more research on the informal sector.

At the end of the event, partners and potential partners, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the BRS Secretariat, Canada, the Caribbean Poison Network of the University of Technology Jamaica (CARPIN), the Royal Society of Chemistry and the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry shared in brief statements, why they want to join the G&CP and what they are looking forward to – and finally all partners and potential partners celebrated the official launch of the G&CP with music, balloons and streamers and invited other interested organizations to join the new partnership.

We thank all interim board members, partners, potential partners and interested stakeholders for this wonderful evening – and we look forward to the first joint steps and activities of the G&CP!

Would you like to know more about the G&CP? Are you interested in joining the new partnership? Contact us via email: anna.holthaus[at]msp-institute.org

Brief Report: Resumed 4th Meeting of the Intersessional Process for Considering SAICM and the Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste Beyond 2020

Feb/March 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya

UNEP headquarter, photo by IISD/ENB

The resumed 4th meeting of the intersessional process for considering SAICM and the sound management of chemicals and waste beyond 2020 (IP4.2) took place in Nairobi, Kenya from February 27 to March 03, 2023 (SAICM, 2023).

Approximately 500 delegates from governments, intergovernmental organizations, industry, civil society organizations, unions, professional associations, women and gender experts and youth networks met at UNEP headquarters to continue the fourth meeting of the intersessional process that began in August 2022 in Bucharest, and to discuss further the details for a future international framework on the sound management of chemicals and waste in the following groups:

  • Thematic group 1: vision, scope, principles and approaches, strategic objectives, targets, and indicators
  • Thematic group 2: institutional arrangements, linkages with the future Science-Policy Panel, issues of concern, and mechanisms to support implementation
  • Thematic group 3: mechanisms to support capacity building and financial considerations

The meeting made “substantial progress on implementation mechanisms for the new instrument, capacity building, stocktaking, measurability and modalities for considering new issues of concern” (ENB, 2023) and delegates also discussed resolutions to be adopted at the Fifth International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM5) in Bonn, Germany, in September 2023 (ibid.). Nevertheless, agreement could not be reached on a range of topics, including targets and financial considerations, and important sections of the consolidated IP document will need further work before ICCM5 in order to achieve the necessary balance between the desired ambition of the new framework and the necessary resources to pursue this ambition successfully, including developing countries. Hence, it was decided during the closing plenary to adjourn IP4 again and resume the session two days before ICCM5.

A summary report by the ENB is available here.

View of the plenary, photo by IISD/ENB

Advocacy for a gender-responsive new framework

Together with other organizations interested in women’s and gender issues, Anna Holthaus from the MSP Institute participated in IP4.2 to advocate for the integration of gender into the new framework. The informal women and gender group actively participated in discussions, met with ICCM5 President Dr. Anita Breyer, and delivered a closing statement in plenary.

The group successfully advocated to include several text proposals on women and gender in the document:

Gender language in principles and approaches:         

[Groups in vulnerable situations] [Particularly impacted groups]
18. “Recognizing that exposure to chemicals and waste often disproportionately affects people in vulnerable situations, including children, youth, the elderly, persons with disabilities, women, workers, migrants, farmers, people living in poverty and Indigenous Peoples and local communities. The implementation of the framework should take these groups into consideration when protecting human health and the environment.

Gender equality
19. Women are agents of change and are vital to address the issues of chemicals and waste. The instrument/framework advances gender equality through their full and equal participation and gender inclusive approaches in all aspects of the implementation of the new instrument/framework, including in decision making [through the implementation of a Gender Action Plan].

Gender language in targets:

Target B3 on data:
“by [20XX] [2030]], [[Governments ][and relevant] [stakeholders to generate]] [require the generation of] [robust]] data on production [and consumption] of chemicals, releases and emissions of chemicals and waste to the environment [based on lifecycle approach] and [gender and age disaggregated on] [concentrations of chemicals in humans][, burden of human disease], biota, and environmental media is generated and [made] [publicly] available [at regional and global [all] levels] [and harmonized research protocols are developed and used to [promote] [ensure] coherence and comparability of this data].]

Target B5 on educational, training and public awareness programmes:
“by 20XX [gender responsive] educational, training and public awareness programmes on chemical safety, sustainability, safer alternatives and benefit of [reducing chemicals and waste risks] [chemicals] have been developed and implemented.” Additional bracketed wording from two CSO proposals on [access to training on chemical risk prevention and clinical environmental toxicology] are included after the target’s main statement, for future consideration.

Nevertheless, a lot of work still remains to ensure that text on women and gender will be taken out of brackets in the final agreement and that gender equality will be ensured in the implementation of the new framework.

We are looking forward to continue our work in the process towards ICCM5 and to strengthen our collaboration with other feminists and women and gender organizations as well as with youth delegates!

Information booth with material on women, gender and chemicals at IP4.2, photo by IISD/ENB

Project visit in Kenya: Gazi’s women tackle the triple planetary crisis

Being in Kenya for the SAICM IP4.2 meeting the MSP Institute used the opportunity to also visit some women actors of change. In the village of Gazi, near the Tanzanian border, a group of women is taking care of the mangrove forest to protect biodiversity and foster climate action. Since 2016, the group has been raising awareness through sustainable tourism and community outreach on their boardwalk in the mangroves. The activities are funded by several international and national organizations as well as local industry actors. However, the project has suffered setbacks in recent years, including the COVID-19 crisis as well as plastic pollution. Now, repairing the boardwalk should support recovery: the old rotten wood is currently being replaced with recycled plastic waste material. This will help to attract tourists and to ensure lasting mangrove restoration. The project demonstrates that women are critical to addressing the triple planetary crisis, and their engagement strengthens local communities. For more information about the Gazi women and their project work, watch a short video here.

Entrance to the Gazi women mangrove boardwalk

Brief Report: The resumed first session of the ad hoc open-ended working group (OEWG) on a science-policy panel to contribute further to the sound management of chemicals and waste and to prevent pollution

Entrance OWEG-1.2, Bangkok, photo by IISD/ENB.

The resumed first session of the ad hoc open-ended working group (OEWG) on a science-policy panel to contribute further to the sound management of chemicals and waste and to prevent pollution took place in Bangkok, Thailand, from January 30 to February 3, 2023 (UNEP, 2023).

Global chemicals production is expected to double by 2030 (GCOII, 2019) but we still know little about the impacts of chemicals and hazardous waste and pollution on our health and the environment. That is why the need for a science-policy panel has been discussed for years under the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM). In 2021 and 2022 the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), in its resolution 5/8, finally decided that a science-policy panel should be established to contribute further to the sound management of chemicals and waste and to prevent pollution. This UNEA decision marks a historic point: soon all three areas of planetary environmental crisis will have their own science-policy interface. Climate change has the IPCC, biodiversity loss the IPBES, and the establishment of a new science-policy body on the pollution crisis is planned to be completed by the end of 2024.

An open-ended working group (OEWG) was established to prepare proposals for the new panel. The first session of the OEWG was held in two parts: The first part took place on 6 October 2022 in Nairobi in a hybrid format,; and the resumed first session (OEWG-1.2) was held in person at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok. The discussions focused on the scope and functions of the panel. A summary report by the ENB is available here.

Major Groups at OEWG-1.2, photo by ENB/IISD.

Advocacy for a gender-responsive science-policy panel

Anna Holthaus from the MSP Institute attended OEWG-1.2 to work together with other women’s groups and feminists of the Women’s Major Group (WMG) to increase attention to the gender aspects of chemicals, waste and pollution and to the need for a gender-responsive panel. Gender-responsiveness means consciously incorporating gender considerations into the design, implementation, and outcomes of programs and policies – and the approach is used widely at the international policy level (e.g. by UNFCCC, CBD or WHO).

The Women’s Major Group submitted a written statement for OEWG1.2, our colleague Mrinalini Rai from Women4 Biodiversity delivered the WMG’s intervention in contact group 1 on function and scope of the panel, and Anna gave a closing statement in plenary on behalf of the WMG.

Fortunately, gender aspects were also immediately an issue in the discussions of this first session: delegates added the preparation of a gender policy and implementation plan to a list of possible documents to prepare, and decided that this shall be further discussed at the next session. “Activities to ensure (…) gender-responsive participation of scientists” was mentioned in a text proposal on capacity building by the GRULAC and African regions and will be also discussed further at the next meeting. In addition, several Member States like Mexico, Brazil and Chile as well as non-governmental organizations and Major Groups supported the need for a gender-responsive panel during the week.

Background: a massive lack of gender data and research

We believe that a gender-responsive science-policy panel can be an important driver in identifying and addressing gender inequities in chemicals, waste, and pollution prevention, which is urgently needed due to the lack of gender-specific data and research on chemicals, waste, and pollution, as stated below:

“Overall, there is limited data or hard numbers on how different gender roles differentially expose men and women to hazardous chemicals.” (SAICM, 2017)

SAICM/IPEN stated in 2020 that „gender-disaggregated data in labor statistics is unfortunately often lacking for occupational exposure to hazardous chemicals. This lack of data makes occupational epidemiology challenging in many cases.”

It should be noted that exposure data from most developing countries and countries in transition is scarce and that sex- and gender-disaggregated data is largely missing for most of the [SAICM Emerging Policy Issues].” (ibid.)

Let’s learn from IPBES and IPCC’s gender activities

The need to acknowledge gender equality issues and to strengthen gender-disaggregated data has also been acknowledged by the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

IPBES Assessments are undertaken by a gender-balanced multidisciplinary group of independent experts. IPBES operating principles recognize the need for gender equity in its work.

IPCC adopted its Gender Policy and Implementation Plan in 2020, based on a report of the Task Group on Gender. The Plan aims to enhance gender equality in IPCC processes, to promote a gender-inclusive environment and to raise awareness of gender-related issues.

How to create a gender-responsive science-policy panel

To ensure that the new Science-Policy Panel promotes gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, we suggest that the OEWG should:

  • Ensure gender parity among members of the science-policy panel
  • Establish a gender-inclusive working environment[1]
  • Involve gender experts and the expertise of women’s organizations
  • Create a working group on gender
  • Establish the collection and use of gender-disaggregated as a scientific standard
  • Strengthen gender research (e.g. via a special report or special chapters in reports)

… and we are looking forward to working with all involved actors to make this happen!

For us, the week in Bangkok was a great opportunity to meet with wonderful feminists and organizations working in different MEAs and environmental policy areas to share experiences in gender advocacy and join forces, and to discuss the importance of gender data and research with the scientific sector, other civil society groups, and of course with governments.


[1] A gender-inclusive working environment means to provide the entire workforce with safe, inclusive, and healthy work and educational environments in which no one is, on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity, excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination. The term is used by Universities (e.g. Harvard University Guidlines) and by the IPCC, among others.

Gender and Chemicals at the 4th Meeting of the Intersessional Process Considering the Strategic Approach and the Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste Beyond 2020 (IP4)

IP4 Plenary, photo by IISD

After two and a half years of not meeting in person, delegates got together again from 27th of August until 2nd of September in Bucharest, Romania, for a workshop, technical briefings and the 4th Meeting of the Intersession Process considering the Strategic Approach and the Sound Management of Chemicals and Waste Beyond 2020 (IP4). Originally, the meeting had been scheduled to take place from 23-27 March 2020 but had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. More than 300 delegates attended, including representatives of governments, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, and industry.

During the meeting, participants discussed the following key elements of potential recommendations to ICCM5 in three thematic groups:

  • Thematic group 1: vision, scope, principles and approaches, strategic objectives, targets, and indicators
  • Thematic group 2: institutional arrangements, linkages with the future Science-Policy Panel, issues of concern, and mechanisms to support implementation
  • Thematic group 3: mechanisms to support capacity building and financial considerations

The resulting document “Co-Chairs Single Consolidated Text” was welcomed by participants in the closing plenary as “a significant achievement” (IISD 2022). Participants agreed to suspend IP4 and want to meet again early next year at IP4.2.

The MSP Institute participated in the meeting and, together with other NGOs working on women and gender issues (including, among others, CIEL, ForumUE, HejSupport, IPEN, PAN and WECF) advocated for the integration of gender in the resulting document. For this purpose, the MSP Institute coordinated an informal women and gender meeting and gave an opening statement on behalf of the group during the first plenary session. During the course of the week, the group developed joint text proposals and took an active role in thematic groups 1 and 2.

Opening statement by the MSP Institute on behalf of NGOs working on women and gender at IP4, photo by IISD

Together the group successfully advocated to include several text proposals on women and gender in the document:

  • to highlight the aim “to protect human health including that of (…) women” in the introduction, in order to ensure that gender aspects are mentioned right in the beginning;
  • to include several international agreements on gender and women’s rights into the principles and approaches of the future framework (especially with the support of Mexico), so that these international agreements are mentioned alongside others focusing on sustainable development, human rights, and others; and
  • to include a text proposal to “Ensure gender equality, the recognition of women as agents of change and the inclusion of gender considerations in all relevant aspects of [the new instrument] through inter alia the development and implementation of a gender action plan“, in order to ensure that there are practical steps included in the work of SAICM and SAICM stakeholders after ICCM5.

As Ruth Spencer said on behalf of the group during the closing plenary, it was “good to see so many women as agents of change [at the conference] and to hear gender mentioned in many discussions. Nevertheless, women and non-binary people are still underrepresented in decision making positions in different fields. But recognizing their capacities and knowledge is urgently needed for meeting the 2030 sustainable development goals and to ensure that no one is left behind. Therefore, we need gender equality and gender mainstreaming instruments in the new framework (…) – otherwise, it remains outdated and stays behind all chemicals and waste conventions. The new framework / instrument could be a frontrunner in terms of gender equality by developing a gender action plan.”

Therefore, the text proposals on women and gender need to be discussed and gender considerations need to be integrated in the targets and indicators at IP4.2 and other possible activities between now and ICCM5, and agreed at ICCM5.

A lot of inspiring conversations with delegates, e.g. on our gender and chemicals road map for SAICM focal points, as well as being back at the table and advocating for a gender-just SAICM Beyond 2020 together with colleagues felt really good. It has energized us to continue the work and stay engaged in the process!

Our information material at IP4, photo by IISD

A final report and analysis of the meeting by IISD can be found at:
https://enb.iisd.org/saicm-intersessional-process-4-sound-management-chemicals-waste-beyond-2020-summary

GenChemRoadMap – concrete steps towards gender mainstreaming in chemicals management

Final report of the project GenChemRoadMap and its pilot phase in Germany

(in German below)

MSP Institute implemented the “GenChemRoadMap” project in 2021 and 2022. The project aimed to help initiate and build support for the systematic integration of gender into national chemicals management with the Gender and Chemicals Road Map, a guide for SAICM National Focal Points. The road map was piloted in Germany in collaboration with the German SAICM National Focal Point, Dr Hans Christian Stolzenberg, and in consultation and collaboration with other German stakeholders. The following article presents a brief summary of the project activities as well as the first results from the pilot phase in Germany:

From April-May 2021, the Gender and Chemicals Road Map and the associated Workbook were developed. The Road Map offers an overview how to mainstream gender into chemicals management at national level and the workbook offers a step-by-step guidance for the implementation.

The kick-off event for the pilot phase in Germany was the next step. A round table meeting with stakeholders took place on July 20, 2021, organized by Dr Hans-Christian Stolzenberg, the German SAICM National Focal Point at the Federal Environment Agency, and the MSP Institute. More than 40 participants from industry, governmental and non-governmental organizations as well as professional associations and science followed the invitation and engaged in a first exchange on gender and gender equity among diverse stakeholders of chemicals management in Germany.

The event was followed by an international workshop on Gender in National Chemicals Policies for SAICM National Focal Points on Sept. 24, 2021. The aim of the workshop was to generate interest in the linkages between gender and chemicals, to present and discuss the Gender and Chemicals Road Map, and to facilitate exchange on gender aspects among SAICM National Focal Points. A total of 39 participants from government organizations, academia, civil society and industry attended the virtual workshop, including about 20 National Focal Points from different parts of the world.

An initial implementation of the steps included in the Gender and Chemicals Road Map took place from October 2021 to April 2022 as part of the pilot phase in Germany: In October, the German SAICM National Focal Point and the MSP Institute started with a core working group of interested stakeholders. The working group held several virtual meetings to take stock of the integration of gender in German chemicals management and was able to gather initial ideas for optimizing the integration of gender. This was done along five action areas based on the questions for gender analysis, step 3 of the Gender and Chemicals Road Map. To narrow the scope of the work, the team focused on the topic of chemicals in building materials. The gender analysis highlighted that while several projects and policy activities in chemicals management in Germany do address gender aspects, the lack of gender-specific data, or the advancement of women in chemicals management, a strategic overview to improve gender mainstreaming in chemicals management has been missing to date.  The team then conducted a Gender Impact Assessment, step 4 of the Gender and Chemicals Road Map, including secondary research as well as expert interviews on the gender impacts of a policy proposal currently under discussion: the introduction of a building resource passport in Germany. The assessment showed how the information needs of building owners on the topic of chemical safety can be taken into account from a gender perspective, and how the policy instrument could be designed effectively.

A summary of the results and experiences of the pilot phase in Germany can be found in the flyer, and a detailed presentation of the results and experiences can be found in the presentation.

The GenChemRoadMap project once again highlighted the relevance and potential of integrating gender aspects for sustainable chemicals management. Even though the integration of gender aspects can be time-consuming and resource-intensive, the Gender and Chemicals Road Map is a helpful step-by-step guide that can be fun to work through, particularly in a team and with other stakeholders.

Would you like to learn more about the Gender and Chemicals Road Map or the pilot phase in Germany, or would you like to optimize the integration of gender aspects into your chemicals management?

Then please do not hesitate to contact us:
Anna Holthaus,
Project Manager GenChemRoadMap,
MSP Institute: anna.holthaus[at]msp-institute.org


GenChemRoadMap – Konkrete Schritte zur Integration von Gender in das Chemikalienmanagement

Abschlussblogartikel über das Projekt GenChemRoadMap und dessen Pilotphase in Deutschland

Im Projekt “GenChemRoadMap” (2021-2022) hat MSP Institute e.V. eine Gender- und Chemikalien-Roadmap und einen Handlungsleitfaden für SAICM National Focal Points entwickelt. Das Projekt setzte erste Impulse für die systematische Integration von Gender in das nationale Chemikalienmanagement. Die Road Map wurde zudem in Zusammenarbeit mit dem deutschen SAICM National Focal Point, Dr. Hans Christian Stolzenberg (Umweltbundesamt), und anderen relevanten deutschen Akteuren in Deutschland pilotiert. Wir möchten die Projektaktivitäten sowie die ersten Ergebnisse der Pilotphase in Deutschland hier kurz vorstellen:

Von April-Mai 2021 wurden die Gender and Chemicals Road Map und das dazugehörige Workbook entwickelt. Die Road Map bietet einen Überblick darüber, wie das Thema Geschlechtergerechtigkeit im nationalen Chemikalienmanagement berücksichtigt werden kann, und das Workbook bietet eine schrittweise Anleitung für die Umsetzung.

Anschließend fand am 20.07.2021 das Kick-off-event zur Pilotphase in Deutschland, der Runde Tisch mit verschiedenen Stakeholdern des deutschen Chemikalienmanagements, statt. Dr. Hans-Christian Stolzenberg, der deutsche SAICM National Focal Point im Umweltbundesamt, und das MSP Institute hatten gemeinsam zu dieser virtuellen Auftakt-Veranstaltung eingeladen. Mehr als 40 Teilnehmende aus Industrie, Regierungs- und Nichtregierungsorganisationen sowie Berufsverbänden und Wissenschaft tauschten sich zum Thema Geschlechtergerechtigkeit und Gender aus.

Gefolgt wurde die Veranstaltung vom einem internationalen Workshop zu Gender in der nationalen Chemikalienpolitik für SAICM National Focal Points am 24.09.2021. Ziel der virtuellen Veranstaltung war es, Interesse an den Zusammenhängen von Gender und Chemikalien zu wecken, die Gender and Chemicals Road Map vorzustellen und zu diskutieren, sowie den Austausch unter den SAICM National Focal Points zu ermöglichen. Insgesamt folgten 39 Teilnehmende aus Regierungsorganisationen, Wissenschaft, Zivilgesellschaft und Industrie der Einladung, darunter etwa 20 Nationale Focal Points aus verschiedenen Teilen der Welt.

Eine erste Umsetzung der Arbeitsschritte der Gender and Chemicals Road Map erfolgte daraufhin von Oktober 2021 bis April 2022 im Rahmen der Pilotphase in Deutschland: Im Oktober starteten der deutsche SAICM National Focal Point und das MSP Institute mit einer Kernarbeitsgruppe interessierter Stakeholder. Die Arbeitsgruppe führte in mehreren virtuellen Treffen eine Bestandsaufnahme der Integration von Gender im deutschen Chemikalienmanagement durch und konnte so erste Idee für die Optimierung der Integration von Gender sammeln. Dies geschah entlang von fünf Handlungsfeldern  anhand der Fragen zur Gender Analyse, Schritt 3 der Gender and Chemicals Road Map. Um den Umfang Pilotphase überschau zu halten, konzentrierte sich das Team auf das Thema Chemikalien in Baumaterialien. Die Genderanalyse verdeutlichte, dass in Deutschland zwar mehrere Projekte und politische Aktivitäten im Chemikalienmanagement Genderaspekte, den Mangel an geschlechtsspezifischen Daten oder die Förderung von Frauen im Chemiemanagement thematisieren, ein strategischer Überblick zur Verbesserung des Gender Mainstreaming im Chemikalienmanagement bisher jedoch fehlte.  Anschließend führte das Team mittels Literaturrecherche und Expert*innen-Interviews ein Gender Impact Assessment, Schritt 4 der Gender and Chemicals Road Map, zu den geschlechtsspezifischen Auswirkungen der zukünftig geplante Einführung  eines Gebäuderessourcenpasses in Deutschland durch. Das Assessment zeigte, wie aus Geschlechterperspektive die Informationsbedürfnisse zur Chemikaliensicherheit von Gebäudebesitzer*innen berücksichtigt und das Politikinstrument somit effektiv gestaltet werden könnte.

Zusammenfassende Informationen zu den Ergebnissen und Erfahrungen der Pilotphase in Deutschland finden Sie im Flyer, eine ausführliche Darstellung der Ergebnisse und Erfahrungen finden Sie in der Präsentation (beides auf English).       

Das Projekt GenChemRoadMap verdeutlichte nochmals die Relevanz und das Potenzial der Integration von Genderaspekten für ein nachhaltiges Chemikalienmanagement. Auch wenn dies durchaus zeitaufwendig und arbeitsintensiv sein kann, so bietet die Gender and Chemicals Road Map doch einen hilfreichen Fahrplan, dessen Ausführung im Team und mit weiteren Stakeholdern durchaus auch Freude bereiten kann.

Möchten Sie mehr über die Gender and Chemicals Road Map oder die Pilotphase in Deutschland erfahren oder selbst die Integration von Genderaspekten in ihr Chemikalienmanagement optimieren?
Dann zögern Sie bitte nicht, uns zu kontaktieren:
Anna Holthaus, Projektleiterin GenChemRoadMap,
MSP Institute e.V.: anna.holthaus[at]msp-institute.org

Why men’s reproductive health needs more attention

#Expert-Blog Series: How to create a gender-just-healthy planet

by Pia Cimander, Student Assistant at MSP Institute

Photo by https://unsplash.com/photos/p4TaofaaUQM.

When a heterosexual couple is planning on having a baby, it is most likely that the woman will stop taking her contraception and stop unhealthy habits such as smoking or drinking alcohol. The people surrounding the woman are likely to encourage her with this and giving her lots of (sometimes unwanted) advice for a healthy (pre-)pregnancy. But when the attempts to conceive a child fail, it is usually the women who undergo examinations and tests to identify the reasons.[i] However, a 2012 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States[ii] showed that only one third of infertility cases are caused by female reproductive problems: one third of infertility cases are caused by problems on the male side, and one third by factors on both sides or reasons unknown.[iii]

Research has identified the time period around conception as being crucial for the processes mediating parental influences on the health of the next generation. Parental lifestyle can adversely influence long-term risks of offspring cardiovascular, metabolic, immune, and neurological morbidities.[iv] Smoking, drug abuse, alcohol consumption and exposure to harmful chemicals at home or at the workplace can influence pregnancy outcomes such as miscarriage, lower birth weight, birth defects and childhood illnesses.[v]This means as well, that men’s’ sperm quality suffers from such influences (e.g. endocrine-disrupting chemicals, including bisphenol A)[vi] and can reduce the number of functional sperm, which can affect the unborn children’s health.[vii] With better general education on men’s health, the likelihood of health risks in the important phase before conception could be reduced – which, of course, would be very much in the interest of parents-to-be. But these issues seem to be quite taboo. Why? What is it about male reproductive health that there is almost no public awareness or discourse?

Men’s health is often associated with fitness, an athletic body shape, and a certain body type. Thus, health is associated with specific physical characteristics rather than holistic health. This is also reflected in the widespread disregard of health complaints and the infrequent seeking of medical advice among men.[viii]

A 2019 study by the American Mens Healh Journal explored the lack of using health care in a group of married and heterosexual men. Large disparities  were associated with men having a higher risk for mortality and morbidity. One of the reasons is that men use less preventive health care services than women and don’t seek immediate treatment for many health problems. This is often due to traditional gender roles and also influenced by structural inequalities like social class, race or age in an intersectional way.[ix]

In a 2019 survey in the US, 14,9% of men aged over 18 were found to be in fair or poor health.[x] The lack of health education seems to be one of the main reasons for this.[xi] Medical research and the medical profession seem to have largely ignored men’s health and men’s reproductive health since the beginning of medicine as a formal profession in the 19th century and the development of medical specializations.[xii] The American Medical Association was founded in 1847 and soon after, medical doctors started specializing.[xiii] The female reproductive health was identified as seperate field of health research and medicine, but not male reproductive health.[xiv] Hence, one of the reasons for the widespread lack of male health education is inadequate research. Closing the knowledge and education gaps and focusing on men’s health to the same extent as women’s would not only help to reduce prejudice and facilitate access to male-specific medical help, but also identify and anticipate potential factors that cause reduced fertility.

In addition to the lack of knowledge among citizens, cultural concepts and structural inequalities also lead to health problems among men. There is a global increase in male sexual disorders[xv], including penile disorders, erectile dysfunction, balanitis, prostate cancer, genital urethral discharge and sexually transmitted infections. These conditions might not be life-threatening, but they are rarely reported and associated with social stigma, especially where open communication about sexual health are uncommon. Couples facing infertility may experience shame, especially in traditional societies where the importance of masculinity and patriarchy remain strong and childlessness is greatly stigmatized.[xvi]  In a report about the US Military Health System that examined male infertility in active US armed forces between 2013 und 2017, non-Hispanic black men aged 30-34 had the highest infertility rates.[xvii] The reasons why men from non-white and non-Western backgrounds tend to have a higher risks of infertility may be multiple and include, for example, health education and health care, lack of awareness and traditional taboos. In a webinar of the Collaborative on Health and the Environment held in May 2021[xviii] , additional reasons were highlighted, among them being a lack of trust in the U.S. medical health care system among black populations which can results in less frequent participation in studies. Reproductive research often focuses on with comparatively wealthy, white individuals who can afford specialized diagnostic and treatment. Reports such as the one by Nathan McCray, Heather Young and Michael Irwig from 2020 on the association of race, obesity, and sperm quality among men are still rare – more (intersectional) data and research on men’s reproductive health is urgently needed .[xix]

Conclusions

When focusing the attention on reproductive health, we should not only see it as a women’s issue. Especially when it is about reproductive health, awareness-raising on how men’s health can affect fertility and children’s health could make a big difference. There is a need to promote male health. Medical research and development needs to improve so that men have easy access to information and care from the beginning, including through sex education. Men’s (health) participation in the period before child conception is essential. For example, health apps and fertility trackers could also be tailored to men. On a societal level, structural investments need to ensure everybody’s access to high quality and affordable health care. As societies, we need to overcome stigmatization and stop seeing men only as strong and unbreakable whose health is solely linked to physical fitness. It won’t be possible to reduce reproductive risks to zero. But paying more attention to men’s reproductive health has the potential to improve many lives in this generation and for generations to come. 


Of course, there are many more aspects and things to know about male reproductive health. Below are some useful links and references to help you dive deeper into the topic:

Dr. Shanna Swan, Stacey Colino (2021): Count Down How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts, Altering Male and Female ReproductiveDevelopment, and Imperiling the Future of the Human Race: https://www.shannaswan.com/

IPPF-International Planned Parenthood Federation: Launch of first global sexual and reproductive health service package for men and adolescent boys: https://www.ippf.org/blogs/launch-first-global-sexual-and-reproductive-health-service-package-men-and-adolescent-boys

Male childlessness: “You think, If I’m not reproducing – then what am I?” The Guardian, 17.11.2018, https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/nov/17/male-childlessness-not-reproducing-what-am-i

Male Reproductive Health Crisis: Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and Racial Inequities: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtvYHzCFTag&t=3569s (Last accessed: date)

MEMAH – Men Educating  Men About Health: https://meneducatingmen.org/health-education/

RW Fisher, Jane; Hamarberg, Karin: Psychological and social aspects of infertility in men: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3735147/ (last accessed: 15.12.2021)

Richard G. Bribiescas (2017): How Men Age. What Evolution Reveals about Male Health and Mortality: https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9781400883264/html

Campbell, Leah: Why Aren’t More men Aware of Their Fertility Status?: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/why-arent-more-men-aware-of-their-fertility-status (last accessed: 15.12.2021)


Sources:

Amoo, Emmanuel; Omideyi, Adekunbi; Fadayomi, Theophilus et al. (2017): Male reproductive health challenges: appraisal of wives coping strategies, Reproductive Health 14, 90. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978.017-0341-2.

Ariba, AJ; Oladapo, OT; Iyaniwuar, CA et al. (2007): Management of erectile dysfunction: perceptions and practices of Nigerian primary care clinicians. South African Family Practice, 49:9, 16-16d, DOI:10.1080/20786204.2007.10873632.


Collaborative on Health and the Environment (2021): Male Reproductive Health Crisis: Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and Racial Inequities, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtvYHzCFTag&t=3569s, last seen: 08.11.2021.

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (2016): URL, https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/menshealth/conditioninfo/infertility#f4, last seen: 28.10.2021.

Fleming, Tom; Watkins, Adam; Velazquez, Miguel et al. (2018): Origins of lifetime health around the lifetime of conception: causes and consequences, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30312-X.

Howard, Jacqueline (2018): How dad’s pre-conception health can affect the baby, too. URL: https://edition.cnn.com/2018/04/16/health/dad-health-baby-preconception-study/index.html, last seen: 04.11.1021.

McCray, Nathan; Young, Heather, Irwig, Michael (2020): The Association Between Race, Obesity, and Sperm Quality Among Men Attending a University Physician Practice in Washington, DC, American Journal of Men’s Health, 14/3, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988320925985.

Mitchell, Kirstin; King, Micheal; Nazareth, Irwin et al. (2011): Managing Sexual Difficulties: A Qualitative Investigation of Coping Strategies, The Journal of Sex Research, 45:4, 325-333, DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2010.494332.

National Center for Health Statistics (2021). URL: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/mens-health.htm, last seen: 04.11.2021.

Noone, Jack H.; Stephens, Christine (2008): Men, masculine identities, and health care utilization, URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1467-9566.2008.01095.x, last seen: 28.10.2021.

Novak, Josh R.; Peak, Terry; Gast, Julie, Arnell, Melinda (2019): Associations Between Masculine Norms and Health-Care Utilization in Highly Religious, Heterosexual Men, In: American Journal of Men’s Health, 2019 May-Jun; 13 (3), URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6560804/#bibr18-1557988319856739, last seen: 02.11.2021.

Resolve: Male Factor, URL: https://resolve.org/infertility-101/medical-conditions/male-factor/, last seen 05.11.2021.

Ross, C. E., Masters, R. K., & Hummer, R. A. (2012). Education and the gender gaps in health and mortality. Demography, 49(4), 1157–1183. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13524-012-0130-z.

Shannon, Jette (2011): Exercising caution: the production of medical knowledge about physical exertion during pregnancy, DOI: 10.3138/cbmh.28.2.293.

Sharma, A., Mollier, J., Brocklesby, R., Caves, C., Jayasena, C. N., & Minhas, S. (2020). Endocrine-disrupting chemicals and male reproductive health. Reproductive medicine and biology, 19(3), 243–253. https://doi.org/10.1002/rmb2.12326.

Stephenson, Judith; Heslehurst, Nicola, Hall, Jennifer et al. (2018): Before the beginning: nutrition and lifestyle in the preconception period and its importance for future health, DOI: https://doi.org./10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30311-8.

UN Environment Programme (2021): Human right to a healthy environment: https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/landmark-un-resolution-confirms-healthy-environment-human-right

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2021): URL: https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/infertility/, last seen: 28.10.2021.

Williams, Valerie; Atta, Irene; Stahlman, Shauna (2019): Brief Report: Male Infertility, Active Component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2013-2017, URL: https://www.health.mil/News/Articles/2019/03/01/Male-Infertility?type=Infographics, last seen: 04.11.2021.

YaleNews (2020): ‘GUYnecology’: Why men’s reproductive health matters, URL: https://news.yale.edu/2020/09/15/guynecology-why-mens-reproductive-health-matters, last seen: 04.11.2021.

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https://www.ippf.org/sites/default/files/inline-images/ipes_men_0.PNG

[i] Resolve: Male Factor, URL: https://resolve.org/infertility-101/medical-conditions/male-factor/, last seen 05.11.2021.

[ii] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2021): URL: https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/infertility/, last seen: 28.10.2021.

[iii] Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (2016): URL, https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/menshealth/conditioninfo/infertility#f4, last seen: 28.10.2021.

[iv] Fleming, Tom; Watkins, Adam; Velazquez, Miguel et al. (2018): Origins of lifetime health around the lifetime of conception: causes and consequences, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30312-X.

[v] Howard, Jacqueline (2018): How dad’s pre-conception health can affect the baby, too. URL: https://edition.cnn.com/2018/04/16/health/dad-health-baby-preconception-study/index.html, last seen: 04.11.1021.

[vi] Sharma, A., Mollier, J., Brocklesby, R., Caves, C., Jayasena, C. N., & Minhas, S. (2020). Endocrine-disrupting chemicals and male reproductive health. Reproductive medicine and biology, 19(3), 243–253. https://doi.org/10.1002/rmb2.12326.

[vii] Stephenson, Judith; Heslehurst, Nicola, Hall, Jennifer et al. (2018): Before the beginning: nutrition and lifestyle in the preconception period and its importance for future health, DOI: https://doi.org./10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30311-8.

[viii] Noone, Jack H.; Stephens, Christine (2008): Men, masculine identities, and health care utilization, URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1467-9566.2008.01095.x, last seen: 28.10.2021.

[ix] American Journal of Men’s Health (2019): Associations Between Masculine Norms and Health-Care Utilization in Highly Religious, Heterosexual Men, URL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6560804/#bibr18-1557988319856739, last seen: 02.11.2021.

[x] National Center for Health Statistics (2021). URL: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/mens-health.htm, last seen: 04.11.2021.

[xi] Ross, C. E., Masters, R. K., & Hummer, R. A. (2012). Education and the gender gaps in health and mortality. Demography, 49(4), 1157–1183. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13524-012-0130-z.

[xii] YaleNews (2020): ‘GUYnecology’: Why men’s reproductive health matters, URL: https://news.yale.edu/2020/09/15/guynecology-why-mens-reproductive-health-matters, last seen: 04.11.2021.

[xiv] Shannon, Jette (2011): Exercising caution: the production of medical knowledge about physical exertion during pregnancy, DOI: 10.3138/cbmh.28.2.293.

[xv] Mitchell, Kirstin; King, Micheal; Nazareth, Irwin et al. (2011): Managing Sexual Difficulties: A Qualitative Investigation of Coping Strategies, The Journal of Sex Research, 45:4, 325-333, DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2010.494332.

[xvi] Amoo, Emmanuel; Omideyi, Adekunbi; Fadayomi, Theophilus et al. (2017): Male reproductive health challenges: appraisal of wives coping strategies, Reproductive Health 14, 90. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978.017-0341-2.

[xvii] Williams, Valerie; Atta, Irene; Stahlman, Shauna (2019): Brief Report: Male Infertility, Active Component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2013-2017, URL: https://www.health.mil/News/Articles/2019/03/01/Male-Infertility?type=Infographics, last seen: 04.11.2021.

[xviii]
Collaborative on Health and the Environment (2021): Male Reproductive Health Crisis: Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and Racial Inequities, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtvYHzCFTag&t=3569s, last seen: 08.11.2021.

[xix] McCray, Nathan; Young, Heather, Irwig, Michael (2020): The Association Between Race, Obesity, and Sperm Quality Among Men Attending a University Physician Practice in Washington, DC, American Journal of Men’s Health, 14/3, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988320925985.


Research Results: Gender Equality and International Environmental Agreements

#Expert-Blog Series: How to create a gender-just-healthy planet

by Megan Kalsman

Chemicals can have a disproportionately high impact on women’s health and wellness.

I observed this firsthand while employed by the City of San Francisco Department of the Environment in California, US. One of my responsibilities as a Commercial Toxics Reduction Assistant Coordinator included working with local governments to certify nail salons to encourage using fewer toxic chemicals and increasing the use of personal protective equipment, e.g., masks and gloves. I met with salon owners and nail technicians who had miscarriages, skin problems, and other health issues from exposure to the many chemicals used in nail salons, such as polish removers, thinners, acrylics, etc. The nail salon community in California employs a high proportion of women whose primary language is not English. Communicating the health risks to this population proved especially challenging but was ultimately very rewarding. The California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative is just one example of environmental and gender justice which ultimately inspired me to continue my research on gender and chemicals. 

As part of my master’s degree program at Lund University in Sweden, I completed a research project focused on gender equality and Multilateral Environmental Agreements (“MEAs”). I was intrigued by the ongoing work surrounding gender and chemicals on an international level and found that various MEAs have been incorporating gender equality into their processes. The research aim of this project was to gain an exploratory perspective on gender equality aspects in MEAs and how advancing gender equality goals can be mainstreamed in the United Nations (UN) political and administrative system. The thesis focused on international policies in recognition of the large impact that global environmental agreements have on national governments and the significant potential for positive change.

This led me to my three primary research aims:

(1) Investigating the terminology used in MEA treaty texts and how word choices can lead to various interpretations. 

(2) Looking at the major activities and themes from those which had MEA gender action plans. 

(3) Uncovering the challenges and barriers faced by the MEA Secretariats (the UN bodies which assists in the planning and implementation of the agreement [1]) and recommending opportunities for gender mainstreaming going forward. 

The study analyzed nine different MEAs with a focus on chemicals and waste related agreements. For a comparison aspect, two ozone depletion agreements, one biodiversity convention, and one climate change convention which have had some inclusion of gender equality aspects in their work were also analyzed. Although this research focused on chemicals and waste agreements, I learned from various practitioners that other environmental areas such as climate change and water management issues had been somewhat explored and documented, whereas chemicals and gender interlinkages was a newer area of focus [2]. I interviewed MEA secretariats who had worked on or around gender aspects in efforts to gain a detailed perspective on their challenges, barriers, and potential opportunities to increase gender mainstreaming.

Research results:

When examining the language and terminology used in MEAs around gender, I found that women were referenced in the treaty texts sparingly. Women were often mentioned as part of a list – mostly included in vulnerable populations amongst workers, children, the elderly, etc. This portrayed women as part of a community that needs protection, rather than as agents of change. However, the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) global policy framework turned out to be an outlier in the MEA comparison. This framework included a significantly higher number of mentions around gender and women in the SAICM texts (Dubai Declaration on International Chemicals Management, Overarching Policy Strategy, Global Plan of Action, Annexes and Resolutions by the International Conference on Chemicals Management) compared to the other more traditional style MEAs. SAICM is a non-binding framework [3] which makes it unique from the other eight agreements reviewed. 

At the time this research was conducted (Spring 2021), there were four different MEA gender action plans found among the nine selected agreements. One of which was still in the review process and not yet finalized. Two chemicals and waste MEAs, one biodiversity, and one climate change agreement gender action plans were assessed. The top five most referenced activities were communication and awareness, stakeholder collaboration, baseline and reporting progress, implementation, and linkages to social and environmental issues amongst many other action items. 

From speaking with the MEA secretariats, ​​major takeaways were that the work to include a gender perspective is occurring, but the lack of funding and resources remains a persistent challenge. Despite this, gender action plans and action plan updates are still progressing, and data collection continues. Areas of opportunity that came up during these discussions were the importance of stakeholder collaboration and the benefits of working with other actors in the women and environment nexus and others such as the medical field. 

Research recommendations:

  • Gender and women considerations should be included in the SAICM Beyond 2020 texts. This can set a precedent for future gender mainstreaming work to be completed. If it’s not in the treaty text, the work might not get done.
  • SAICM should develop a gender action plan with particular attention to accountability measures, specifying targets and intended results, reporting on effectiveness of the plan, and a focus on communication and awareness with stakeholders and the public. 
  • Prioritizing funding for gender mainstreaming work within the UN system is crucial. For example, obtaining funding for pilot projects may demonstrate the viability of the work that parties are doing around gender equality — see for example the 2017 BRS Gender Heroes pilot projects [4]. Continuing collaboration with stakeholder groups and MEA secretariats is key to push the gender mainstreaming work forward. 

Conclusions and major takeaways:

Gender mainstreaming work is ramping up within the chemicals and waste-related international environmental agreements. However, with the SAICM intersessional meetings postponed until further notice, this work must continue or risk losing momentum. I strongly believe in the importance of sustaining and growing an intersectional perspective in this work. Key stakeholders from different backgrounds need to be heard and “in the room” when decisions are being made. Integrating a gender lens within environmental agreements and this important work will promote moving the needle towards a more sustainable and just future for all.


To read this thesis in its entirety, visit here.

[1] https://www.informea.org/en/terms/secretariat

[2] WECF & UNEP. (2016). Women and Chemicals: The impact of hazardous chemicals on women A thought starter based on an experts‘ workshop. 66. https://www.wecf.org/77912/

[3] https://www.informea.org/en/treaties/strategic-approach-international-chemicals-management

[4] http://www.brsmeas.org/Gender/CaseStudies/CaseStudiesonintegratingagenderperspective/tabid/8000/language/en-US/Default.aspx

Interested in the research results? Contact Megan Kalsman here.

Event Report: International Webinar “The Gender and Chemicals Road Map”/ Veranstaltungsbericht: Internationales Webinar zur “Gender and Chemicals Road Map”

Brief report on the webinar: “The Gender and Chemicals Road Map” 09/24/2021 via Zoom

(in german below)

On the 24th of September, the MSP Institute invited SAICM National Focal Points and other interested stakeholders to the international webinar “The Gender and Chemicals Road Map”, focusing on the integration of gender into national chemical policies. The objective of the workshop was to raise awareness of linkages between gender and chemicals, to present and discuss the Gender and Chemicals Road Map, and to promote international exchange on gender aspects among SAICM National Focal Points.

A total of 39 participants from governmental organizations, academia, civil society and industry attended the virtual workshop, including about 20 National Focal Points from different parts of the world.

The workshop started with a welcome by Dr. Minu Hemmati, associate at the MSP Institute, who facilitated the workshop. This was followed by the presentation of the Gender and Chemicals Road Map and the accompanying workbook by project manager Anna Holthaus, and a short Q&A. During the following “roundtable” discussion on “Potentials, initial experiences and barriers with regard to integrating gender in chemicals policy”, Jose de Mesa Alcalde from the SAICM Secretariat reported on the gender activities in the SAICM process so far, Susan Wingfield from the BRS Secretariat and Gender Focal Point spoke about the experiences of the BRS Conventions in integrating gender in national policy, and Dr. Hans-Christian Stolzenberg from the German Environment Agency and the German SAICM Focal Point commented on opportunities and challenges in the upcoming implementation of the Roadmap in Germany.

Participants were then invited to join the exchange on gender in national chemicals policy using a virtual ‘Mural’ board. The following questions were discussed:

  • Are there activities on gender and environment in your country?
  • What are the main challenges in integrating gender into national chemicals management?
  • What needs to be improved or added to the roadmap on gender and chemicals?
  • Which other tools or support would you need to (further) integrate gender into your work?
Virtual flipchart – exchange with participants on gender in national chemicals policy

Finally, Anna Holthaus invited the participants to use the roadmap and share their experiences and, together with Minu Hemmati, thanked them for their participation. Afterwards, participants were invited to an informal networking session, where some more exchange among participants took place.

The presentation on the webinar can be found here:

A recording of the webinar can be found here.


Blogartikel Kurzbericht Internationales Webinar „The Gender and Chemicals Road Map“, 24.09.2021 via Zoom

Am 24.09.2021 lud das MSP Institute alle SAICM National Focal Points und weitere interessierte Stakeholder zum internationalen Webinar „The Gender and Chemicals Road Map“ein. Thema war die Integration von Gender in nationale Chemikalienpolitik. Ziel des Workshops war es, Interesse an den Zusammenhängen von Gender und Chemikalien zu wecken, die Gender and Chemicals Road Map vorzustellen und zu diskutieren, sowie den internationalen Austausch zu Gender-Aspekten unter den SAICM National Focal Points zu ermöglichen.

Insgesamt nahmen 39 Teilnehmende aus Regierungsorganisationen, Wissenschaft, Zivilgesellschaft und Industrie am virtuell stattfindenden Workshop teil, darunter etwa 20 Nationale Focal Points aus verschiedenen Teilen der Welt.

Begonnen wurde mit einer Begrüßung und der Vorstellung der Agenda durch Dr. Minu Hemmati vom MSP Institute, die den Workshop moderierte. Darauf folgte die Vorstellung und Einführung der Gender and Chemicals Road Map und dem dazugehörigen Workbook durch Projektmanagerin Anna Holthaus, und ein kurzes Q&A, um Fragen zum Vortrag zu beantworten. Anschließend folgte ein „Runder Tisch“ zum Thema „Potentiale, erste Erfahrungen und Barrieren in Hinblick auf die Integration von Gender in der Chemikalienpolitik“. Jose de Mesa Alcalde vom SAICM Sekretariat berichtete über die bisherigen Gender-Aktivitäten im SAICM Prozess, Susan Wingfield vom BRS Sekretariat und Gender Focal Point sprach von den Erfahrungen der BRS Konventionen bei der Integration von Gender in nationaler Politik und Dr. Hans-Christian Stolzenberg vom Umweltbundesamt und Deutscher SAICM Focal Point äußerte sich zu möglichen Potentialen und Schwierigkeiten bei der kommenden Implementierung in Deutschland.

Danach wurde zum gemeinsamen Austausch zu Gender in nationaler Chemikalienpolitik auf dem virtuellen ‚Mural‘-Board eingeladen. Dort wurden folgende Fragen diskutiert:

  • Gibt es in Ihrem Land Aktivitäten zu den Themen Gender und Umwelt?
  • Was sind die größten Herausforderungen bei der Integration von Gender in das nationale Chemikalienmanagement?
  • Inwiefern muss die Roadmap zum Thema Gender und Chemikalien verbessert oder ergänzt werden?
  • Welche anderen Instrumente oder Unterstützung würden Sie benötigen, um die Gleichstellung der Geschlechter (weiter) in Ihre Arbeit zu integrieren?
Virtuelle Flipchart – Austausch über Gender im nationalen Chemikalienmanagement (auf Englisch)

Zum Abschluss lud Anna Holthaus die Teilnehmenden zur Nutzung der Roadmap und dem Teilen von Erfahrungen ein und bedankte sich gemeinsam mit Minu Hemmati für die Teilnahme. Im Anschluss wurde zu einem informalen Networking eingeladen, bei dem sich die Teilnehmenden noch ein wenig austauschten.

Die Präsentation zum Webinar finden Sie hier:

Eine Aufnahme des Webinars finden Sie hier.

Event report: Round table with Stakeholders/ Veranstaltungsbericht: Runder Tisch mit Stakeholdern

Brief report on the kick-off event: Roundtable with stakeholders – Shaping chemicals management together in a gender-responsive way.

(in German below)

Together with Dr Hans-Christian Stolzenberg, the German SAICM National Focal Point at the German Federal Environment Agency, the MSP Institute invited to a round table on the 20th of July 2021. The aim of the kick-off event in the new project GenChemRoadMap was to initiate the first exchange between different stakeholders of the German national chemicals management on gender equality and gender. 

More than 40 participants from industry, governmental and non-governmental organisations, as well as professional associations and the scientific community, followed the invitation to the virtual exchange. 

After a short overview of the agenda by Dr Minu Hemmati from the MSP Institute and the introduction of the German SAICM National Focal Point, Dr Jutta Emig, Head of the Division “International Chemical Safety, Sustainable Chemistry” at the German Federal Ministry of Environment, introduced the topic with her keynote on gender dimensions of chemicals management. Dr Emig shared her experiences in developing the Gender Impact Assessment for BMU in 2004-2005, and how she realised that “if you want to design chemical safety properly and safely, the gender issue [is] an integral part of it”.

Anna Holthaus, project manager at the MSP Institute, gave a presentation on the new project, the Gender and Chemicals Road Map, and the planned pilot implementation in Germany (see presentation below). 

Dr Minu Hemmati then invited the German Federal Ministry of Environment and the German Environment Agency to a brief interview on the issue of “Gender in national chemicals management. How can and must we think this together in Germany?”. Dr Jutta Emig and Astrid Thyssen (Division “Gender aspect in environment policy, social administration issues”, BMU) described previous activities on integrating gender aspects in different areas of environmental policy and the development of a gender strategy in the Ministry. Dr Hans-Christian Stolzenberg explained his ideas and vision regarding sustainable and gender-responsive chemicals management in Germany. Speakers agreed that more research and data collection, more awareness-raising and more tools for practical application are needed on the way to more gender-responsive chemicals management. 

Participants were then invited to brainstorm and exchange ideas using a virtual pinboard. For 30 minutes, they discussed which gender aspects in different chemical sectors are of particular relevance in Germany (the results can be found below). 

Dr Hans-Christian Stolzenberg and Anna Holthaus invited stakeholders to support the Gender and Chemicals Road Map and its implementation in Germany. Participants responded online how much they would like to be involved in the future. 

In a short reflection round towards the end, several stakeholders shared their impressions of the meeting: Prof Dr Klaus Kümmerer from the Leuphana University of Lüneburg emphasised that the entire life cycle of chemicals needs to be considered instead of individual chemicals and their occupational safety measures. Anna Geuchen from the Deutscher Naturschutzring explained that cross-cutting issues such as chemicals management and gender are finally receiving increasing attention at environmental organisations. Janine Richter from the Jungchemiker*innenforum (Young chemist forum) emphasised that, in particular, the younger generation is in favour of transformation towards sustainable chemistry, but that young women continue to suffer from inequalities. All three were pleased with the first exchange on gender and chemistry in Germany and welcomed further plans in the project. 

Dr Minu Hemmati thanked speakers and participants for the candid, successful exchange and for sharing their ideas for making chemicals management more gender-responsive. 

We are grateful for the support from various stakeholders for our project!
If you are interested in participating in our project, don’t hesitate to contact us via email: anna.holthaus[at]msp-institute.org.


Kurzbericht zur Auftakt-Veranstaltung: Runden Tisch mit Stakeholdern – Chemikalienmanagement gemeinsam geschlechtergerecht gestalten.

Zusammen mit Dr. Hans-Christian Stolzenberg, dem deutschen SAICM National Focal Point im Umweltbundesamt, lud das MSP Institute zum Runden Tisch am 20. Juli im neuen Projekt GenChemRoadMap ein. Ziel der Auftakt-Veranstaltung war ein erster Austausch verschiedener Stakeholder des deutschen nationalen Chemikalienmanagements zum Thema Geschlechtergerechtigkeit und Gender.

Mehr als 40 Teilnehmende aus Industrie, Regierungs- und Nichtregierungsorganisationen sowie Berufsverbänden und Wissenschaft folgten der Einladung zum virtuellen Austausch.

Nach einer kurzen Vorstellung der Agenda durch Dr. Minu Hemmati vom MSP Institute sowie der Vorstellung des deutschen SAICM National Focal Point führte Dr. Jutta Emig, Leiterin des Referats „Internationale Chemikaliensicherheit, Nachhaltige Chemie“ im BMU mit ihrer Keynote zu Gender-Dimensionen im Chemikalienmanagement ins Thema ein. Dr. Jutta Emig berichtete von früheren Erfahrungen bei der Entwicklung des Gender Impact Assessment und ihrer daraus gewonnenen Erkenntnis, dass, „wenn man Chemikaliensicherheit richtig und sicher gestalten möchte, die Genderfrage einfach dazu [gehört].“

Anschließend stellte Anna Holthaus, Projektmanagerin im MSP Institute, das Projekt, die Inhalte der Gender and Chemicals Road Map und die geplante Pilot-Umsetzung in Deutschland vor (siehe Präsentation unten).

Daraufhin lud Dr. Minu Hemmati zur kurzen Interviewrunde mit BMU und UBA zum Thema „Gender im nationalen Chemikalienmanagement. Wie können und müssen wir dies in Deutschland zusammendenken?“ Dr. Jutta Emig und Astrid Thyssen (Referat „Genderaspekte in der Umweltpolitik, soziale Verwaltungsangelegenheiten“, BMU) berichteten über die bisherigen Aktivitäten, unterschiedliche Sachlagen bei der Integration von Genderaspekten in verschiedenen Umweltpolitikbereiche und die Entwicklung einer Gender-Strategie im BMU. Dr. Hans-Christian Stolzenberg erläuterte seine Vorstellungen bezüglich eines nachhaltigen und geschlechter-gerechten Chemikalienmanagements in Deutschland. Auf dem Weg dorthin sind laut BMU und UBA mehr Forschung und Datenerhebung, eine stärkere Bewusstseinsbildung und weitere Instrumente für die praktische Anwendung notwendig und hilfreich.

Danach wurden die Teilnehmenden zum gemeinsamen Austausch an einer virtuellen Pinnwand eingeladen. Es gab ein Brainstorming und Diskussion darüber , welche Genderaspekte in verschiedenen Chemiesektoren von besonderer Relevanz in Deutschland sind (die Ergebnisse finden Sie unten).

Anschließend luden Hans-Christan Stolzenberg und Anna Holthaus zur weiteren Unterstützung und Mitwirkung an der Gender and Chemicals Road Map und deren Umsetzung in Deutschland ein. Die Teilnehmenden trugen hierzu auf der Pinnwand ein, in welcher Weise sie in Zukunft eingebunden werden möchten.

In einer kurzen Reflexionsrunde zum Abschluss äußerten verschiedene Stakeholder ihre gewonnen Eindrücke: Prof. Dr. Klaus Kümmerer von der Leuphana Universität Lüneburg betonte, dass – anstatt einzelner Arbeitsschutzmaßnahmen – der gesamte Lebenszyklus von Chemikalien betrachtet werden müsse. Anna Geuchen vom Deutschen Naturschutzring erläuterte, dass themenübergreifende Querschnittsaufgaben wie das Chemikalienmanagement und Gender zunehmende Beachtung in den Umweltverbänden fänden. Janine Richter vom Jungchemiker*innenforum betonte, dass sich gerade die jüngere Generation für einen Wandel zur Nachhaltigen Chemie ausspricht, aber junge Frauen weiterhin unter Chancenungerechtigkeiten leiden. Alle drei zeigten sich von dem erstmaligen Austausch zum Thema Gender in Deutschland erfreut und begrüßten die weiteren Vorhaben im Projekt.

Abschließend dankte Dr. Minu Hemmati den Teilnehmenden sowie den Referierenden für den gelungenen Austausch und die vielen Ideen und Denkanstöße zur geschlechtergerechten Gestaltung des Chemikalienmanagements.

Wir freuen uns über die Unterstützung verschiedenster Stakeholder für unser Vorhaben!

Wenn auch Sie Interesse an der Mitwirkung in unserem Projekt haben, melden Sie sich gerne bei uns: anna.holthaus[at]msp-institute.org


Den ausführlichen Bericht zur Veranstaltung finden Sie hier:

Die Präsentation zu Veranstaltung finden Sie hier:

Die Ergebnisse des Stakeholder-Austausches finden Sie hier: