Helena Joyce
Pollution's gender refers to the gendered implications of pollution, which disproportionately affects women and exacerbates gender inequalities. Women are generally more impacted by exposure to pollutants and waste, and they face heightened health risks due to biological factors and societal gender roles that place them near pollution sources. For instance, women are often responsible for household chores like cooking with wood or coal, which exposes them to indoor air pollution. They are also overrepresented in the informal economy, working low-skilled jobs with little information about health and safety. Existing gender inequalities and roles shape waste management, with women typically engaged in unpaid or minimally compensated neighbourhood activities related to waste. Furthermore, women's unique positions in waste management and pollution prevention decision-making processes are critical for achieving a pollution-free planet.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Air pollution impacts | Women are more likely to be exposed to greater levels of air pollution and are disproportionately impacted by it. |
| Air pollution and work | Women are more likely to reduce their working hours when pollution rises, especially those with children, due to gendered-biased care responsibilities. |
| Water pollution impacts | Women are more vulnerable to water-related diseases due to their roles as cooks, cleaners, and carers. They also have to walk longer distances to collect water from distant sources. |
| Plastic pollution | Women are at risk of exposure to harmful chemicals when handling plastic pollutants, leading to health complications. |
| Waste management | Women are more engaged in waste management activities, often unpaid or minimally compensated, and are critical to achieving a pollution-free planet. |
| Decision-making | Women are underrepresented in decision-making roles related to pollution prevention and environmental factors, leading to a need for gender-sensitive approaches. |
| Pollution and health | Women are more vulnerable to specific health risks associated with pollution, such as heart disease, fertility issues, and certain chronic conditions like asthma. |
| Pollution and gender inequalities | Existing gender inequalities are exacerbated by pollution, and pollution contributes to enhancing gender inequalities in the labour market. |
| Pollution and gender analysis | Gender analysis in environmental epidemiology can help disentangle gender and sex differences in pollution response and exposure. |
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What You'll Learn
Women are disproportionately impacted by pollution and waste
Women are generally more vulnerable to the harmful effects of exposure to chemicals and waste. They have less access to decision-making processes, and their reproductive health is particularly affected. For example, in some countries, women are exposed to hazardous chemicals when extracting valuable metals from electronic waste, while men perform the less dangerous task of collecting the waste. Additionally, women may transfer toxic chemicals to their children during pregnancy and lactation, further exacerbating the impact on their health.
The climate crisis disproportionately affects women and girls, who make up the majority of the world's poor and are highly dependent on local natural resources. In rural areas, they are often responsible for securing food, water, and firewood for their families, which becomes more challenging during droughts and erratic rainfall. Climate change can also exacerbate existing conflicts and inequalities, increasing the risk of gender-based violence. After disasters, women are often responsible for caring for the sick and injured, providing support for their families, and helping communities recover and rebuild.
Women are critical to achieving a pollution-free planet and play essential roles in decision-making about pollution prevention and waste management. They possess unique knowledge and expertise that can lead to more sustainable and fair waste management practices. However, they are underrepresented in waste management decision-making and leadership roles. Incorporating gender analysis into environmental health and providing opportunities for women's participation in policymaking can lead to more efficient and effective waste management and equal opportunities.
Women are also key drivers of sustainable behaviour change and consumer attitudes. They influence up to 80% of consumer purchasing decisions in wealthier societies, leading the transition to more sustainable lifestyles. Studies show that countries with more significant numbers of women in parliament are more likely to ratify international environmental treaties and implement stricter climate policies. Additionally, gender-diverse firms tend to have better environmental reporting and climate governance practices.
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Gender inequalities and traditional gender roles impact pollution exposure
The climate crisis is not gender-neutral. Women and girls are disproportionately impacted by pollution and waste, and this is often exacerbated by existing gender inequalities and traditional gender roles. Firstly, women are generally more exposed to hazardous chemicals and waste, particularly in the lowest tiers of waste management, and have less access to participation in decision-making. For instance, in some countries, men collect electronic waste, but women are exposed to the hazardous chemicals when extracting valuable metals from devices. Women are also more engaged in informal, household, and neighbourhood activities related to waste, which are often unpaid or minimally compensated. This is especially true in the care sector, where women are expected to care for sick children and elderly dependents when pollution levels are high. This dynamic was observed in a study on air pollution and employment data from Santiago, Chile, which found that during weeks with high pollution levels, there was a notable gender difference in working hours, with women, and particularly mothers, working fewer hours.
Secondly, gender inequalities and traditional gender roles impact the ability of women and girls to enjoy their human rights, including the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. Harmful gender norms, stereotypes, and biases exclude women and girls from participating in environmental decision-making and enjoying the benefits of nature. For example, in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew in Haiti in 2016, women and girls faced greater health and safety risks as water and sanitation systems were compromised, and they took on more domestic and care work. Similarly, in rural economies, floods or droughts can destroy sources of income and access to food and clean water, leading to increased instances of conflict-related sexual violence, human trafficking, and child marriage.
Thirdly, gender inequalities and traditional gender roles can impact the health and safety of women and girls. Women may have different susceptibilities to the impacts of toxic chemical exposure due to differences in physiology and reproductive cycles. For instance, environmental exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals has been linked to cancer and other reproductive disorders. Furthermore, women bear a disproportionate responsibility for securing food, water, and fuel for their families, and climate change can force them to work harder and travel farther to fulfil these responsibilities.
Finally, gender inequalities and traditional gender roles can impact the economic opportunities of women. Women are often underrepresented in jobs with the biggest inequalities, such as entrepreneurship, administration, finance, and engineering, due to a lack of access to education, training, and employment opportunities in these fields. To address these inequalities, gender-based quotas, affirmative action, and training opportunities for women in these sectors may be implemented. Additionally, community consultations and employment opportunities in waste disposal and sewage treatment should consider the disproportionate representation of women, young people, and migrant workers in low-skilled and informal jobs, ensuring they are informed about their rights, health, and safety.
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Air pollution affects men and women's health differently
Air pollution is harmful to everyone, but it is becoming increasingly clear that it affects men and women's health differently. There is growing evidence that women are disproportionately impacted by air pollution, with unique and more severe health consequences.
Women are generally more vulnerable to the effects of air pollution due to several factors. Firstly, traditional gender roles play a significant part. In many low- and middle-income countries, women are often responsible for household chores such as cooking or heating, which increases their exposure to indoor air pollution, for example, from burning wood or coal. A study in rural Uganda and Ethiopia found a fivefold difference in personal household pollution exposure between men and women. Additionally, women are more likely to work in informal economies, often in jobs near pollution sources, such as busy roads or markets, without adequate information about health and safety.
Outside the home, women's health is also more severely impacted by air pollution. Certain chronic health conditions like asthma, COPD, and heart disease are more prevalent in women than in men, and air pollution can exacerbate these conditions. A 2022 study found that exposure to diesel exhaust caused changes in the makeup of blood components, leading to heart disease, inflammation, and infection. These effects were much more pronounced in women. Women of colour, in particular, face stark maternal health inequalities and are disproportionately exposed to high levels of air pollution. They are often excluded from conversations and decisions around clean air and climate change, perpetuating systemic inequalities.
Air pollution also affects fertility and maternal health. A growing body of evidence suggests that air pollution increases the risk of miscarriages, stillbirths, and pregnancy complications. For those undergoing IVF treatment, air pollution decreases the odds of having a baby by over a third. Additionally, exposure to air pollution during pregnancy can have detrimental effects on the developing foetus, impacting both mothers and their children.
The reasons behind these gender disparities are complex and may be attributed to socially derived gendered exposures, sex-linked physiological differences, or a combination of both. Gender analytic approaches are crucial to disentangle these differences and develop effective solutions.
While the focus has been on the adverse effects of air pollution on women's health, it is important to recognise that air pollution impacts men as well. More research is needed to understand the specific ways in which air pollution affects men's health and the differing associations between air pollution and respiratory health for males and females.
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Pollution impacts women's ability to work
Women are disproportionately impacted by pollution, which affects their ability to work in several ways. Firstly, women are more vulnerable to the health effects of pollution. For example, research has shown that women are more susceptible to the effects of super pollutant tropospheric ozone, leading to higher rates of death from cerebrovascular disease, which can cause brain damage or stroke. Air pollution also impacts women's reproductive health, with evidence suggesting that exposure to air pollution negatively affects fertility and maternal health. Women of colour, who already face maternal health inequalities, are disproportionately exposed to high levels of air pollution. Additionally, women are often employed in low-income jobs with inadequate access to protective equipment, increasing their exposure to pollution. This is particularly true for informal employment, where women are overrepresented and often lack information about their health and safety rights.
The impact of pollution on women's health has direct consequences for their ability to work. When women's health suffers due to pollution, they may need to take time off work or reduce their hours, particularly if they have caregiving responsibilities for children or other dependents. In some cases, men may compensate for this reduction in hours worked by women, but this is not always the case, and women's income and job security may suffer as a result.
Water pollution also affects women's ability to work. In many countries, a disproportionate number of women work as cooks, cleaners, and carers, making them more vulnerable to water-related diseases from contaminated water sources. Additionally, women and girls are often responsible for collecting water, and when water sources become contaminated, they are forced to walk longer distances, taking time away from income-generating activities or education that could improve their job prospects.
Pollution's impact on food security also disproportionately affects women. When pollution leads to low harvests and increases in food prices, women, who generally earn less than men, are more vulnerable to food insecurity, especially in female-headed households.
Lastly, indoor air pollution from solid fuel use, such as burning firewood for cooking, disproportionately impacts women in low-income countries. The lack of access to clean energy means that women spend time collecting fuelwood, reducing their time for other productive or income-generating activities. Overall, the gendered impacts of pollution on women's health, time, and economic opportunities highlight the need for gender-sensitive approaches to pollution mitigation and decision-making.
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Women are underrepresented in climate science research
The issue of pollution has long been studied through the lens of gender, with growing evidence of differing associations between air pollution and respiratory health for females and males. Despite this, women are underrepresented in climate science research. This is a significant issue as women are disproportionately impacted by the health effects of climate change, particularly in Indigenous and low- and middle-income settings.
A recent analysis of 100 papers published from 2016-2020 found that only 12 had female lead authors, with similar results reflected in the Reuters Hot List of the world's top 1000 climate scientists, which included only 122 women. This gender gap in scientific research is not limited to climate science, as less than 30% of the world's researchers across all fields are women.
Several factors contribute to the underrepresentation of women in climate science research. Early influences include disparities in childhood education, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. These imbalances create a smaller pool of women scientists and professionals, impacting their ability to hold power and influence in the field of climate science. Additionally, gender inequalities in care responsibilities can affect women's ability to work, as seen in a study from Santiago, Chile, where air pollution was found to impact the working hours of women, especially those with children.
The lack of female representation in climate science research has significant ramifications. Ayesha Tandon, a climate science journalist, notes that the existing knowledge around climate change is skewed towards the interests of male authors from the global north, neglecting the needs of women and communities in the global south, who are often the most vulnerable to climate change impacts. This bias in authorship creates blind spots in our understanding of climate change and its solutions.
To address this issue, several actions can be taken. Firstly, increasing investment in research funding in underrepresented regions, such as Africa and other parts of the Global South, can help level the playing field. Additionally, gender-sensitive approaches that recognize the intersection of economic, geographic, cultural, and racial factors can contribute to equitable solutions. Ensuring women's participation and leadership in climate governance and decision-making processes is crucial, as their unique perspectives and expertise are essential for effective and sustainable climate action.
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Frequently asked questions
There is growing evidence of gender-based differences in the impact of pollution on health and well-being. Women are generally more impacted by exposure to pollution and waste and are underrepresented in decision-making and leadership roles related to pollution prevention and waste management.
Women are more likely to be exposed to greater levels of pollution due to traditional gender roles that assign them household chores like cooking or heating, putting them at greater risk of pollution exposure from burning wood or coal. They are also overrepresented in the informal economy, working low-skilled or informal jobs with little information about their rights, health and safety. Women are also more vulnerable to certain pollutants, such as tropospheric ozone, which has been linked to higher rates of death from cerebrovascular disease.
Gender inequalities exacerbate the differential impacts of pollution on women and men. By addressing these inequalities and incorporating gender analysis into environmental epidemiology, we can better understand the unique impacts of pollution on women and develop more effective solutions. Additionally, promoting gender equality in leadership and decision-making roles related to pollution and waste management can lead to more sustainable and equitable outcomes.
