Women, Men, and Environmental Change Justine Sass, MSc Policy Analyst, PRB © 2002 Population Reference Bureau
Dec 14, 2015
Women, Men,
and Environmental Change
Justine Sass, MSc
Policy Analyst, PRB © 2002 Population Reference Bureau
Humans Environment
Framework of Analysis
Population
Heal th
Gender
Gender refers to the social roles that men and women play and the power relations between them
How Gender Influences Natural Resource Use Roles and Responsibilities Access to and Control over Resources Knowledge Participation in Decisionmaking
Roles and Responsibilities
Commercial vs. non-commercial tasks Women’s additional domestic
responsibilities Male migration exacerbates
women’s work burdens
Access to and Control over Resources Economic, social, institutional, and legal
constraints – Poverty– Restrictive land rights– Limited access to supportive services, e.g.,
extension programs, training on innovative land management practices
Knowledge
Knowledge based on gender roles and responsibilities
Gendered knowledge also varies by class, age, and ethnicity
Participation in Decisionmaking
Women’s involvement in formulation, planning, and execution of policy law
Women’s participation often at local level
Failure to include women’s and men’s activities leads to policies that criminalize activities without changing behavior
Humans Environment
Framework of Analysis
Population
Heal th
Impact of Environmental Degradation on Women and Men More time and energy on tasks Exposure to indoor pollutants Decreased nutrition for families Increased reproductive risks
More Time and Energy on Tasks
Greater time, distances to travel for resources
Higher school drop-out rates Higher calorie use Compounded risk of malnutrition in
resource-poor settings
Exposure to Indoor Pollutants
2
10.8 0.7
1.3
0.50.3 0.3
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
Women Children Youth Men
Mg/cubic meter of total suspended particulate matter
WinterSummer
Source: S. Saksena et al., “Patterns of Daily Exposure to TSP and CO in the Gahrwal Himalaya,” AtmosphericEnvironment (26A, 1992): 212-34.
Decreased Nutrition
Less nutritious foods that can be eaten raw or partially cooked
Partially cooked food that can prove toxic
Eating leftovers that can rot in tropical climates
Women and female children hit hardest
Increased Reproductive Risks
Exposure to agricultural and industrial chemicals and organic pollutants increase morbidity and mortality
Pesticide exposure linked to stillbirths, perinatal deaths, birth defects, testicular cancer, and lower sperm counts
Gender-responsive Policies and Programs Collecting and analyzing sex-
disaggregated data Strengthening women’s involvement in
environmental decisionmaking Issuing gender policy declarations Signing international agreements
Collecting and Analyzing Sex-Disaggregated Data Data that provide information on
women’s and men’s resource use, access to resources, and participation in environmental decisionmaking
Examples: – Brazil: Jaú National Park– Tunisia: Five-Year Plan
Strengthening Women’s Involvement in Decisionmaking
“Advancing gender equality, through reversing the various social and
economic handicaps that make women voiceless and powerless, may also be
one of the best ways of saving the environment.”
-Amartya Sen
Issuing Gender Policy Declarations Demonstrate government’s intent to
address gender concerns Provide reference document for
technical staff Provide the basis for action
Examples: Uganda, Philippines;
At the regional level: Meso-America
Signing International Agreements
Influence government policies through international “peer pressure”
Advocates can use documents to approve actions/increase funding
Goals and benchmarks can serve to monitor progress and encourage action
Opportunities to Mobilize Attention to the Issue The 46th Session on the Commission
on the Status of Women Meeting of Women Leaders of the
Environment in Helsinki, Finland World Summit on Sustainable
Development in Johannesburg, South Africa
Conclusions
There are a number of actions policymakers and planners can take to improve integration of gender concerns into environmental planning
Continued commitment is essential to achieving these goals