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