Network 12-1.pdf - Canadian Women's Health Network

and the implications for women’s
health.
When asked about the gaps
they found in research in Canada,
Phartiyal immediately responds
with “the biggest gap was the lack
of gender analysis. It was just
completely missing.” A “gendered”
perspective was often limited to
health as it related to fetuses or
new babies. This gap was not just
limited to Canadian research; few
resources gave a gendered perspective
on the issue of water in
any developed countries. Most
research discussed the relationship
between women and water only
in developing nations. While those
studies could provide helpful information
on some of the possible
gender dimensions of water issues,
the issues are likely to look very
different in Canada.
Believing that women have
not only a historical and spiritual
relationships with water, as well
as potentially different effects on
their health, the
searchers, plans are to produce
more documents in plain language
geared towards policy makers and
the general public in the future.
The reports currently available
on the website are organized
into three themes of recent
research: Aboriginal issues,
Contaminants, and Privatization.
In summer 2010 NNEWH will
release the next volume in the
Women & Water in Canada series
on the gendered implications of
chronic exposures to pharmaceuticals
and disinfection by-products.
Aboriginal water issues:
According to womenandwater.ca,
“as of December 31st
2008, 106 First Nations communities
in Canada were under drinking
water advisories” – a dramatic
example of the inequality of access
to a vital resource. In some cases,
these warnings have lasted for
years. As stated in the report from
the Chiefs of Ontario, Aboriginal
As of December 31st 2008, 106
First Naons communies in Canada
were under drinking water
advisories.
Traditional Knowledge and Source
Water Protection Final Report “in
many First Nation cultures, the
women of the community traditionally
carry primary responsibil-
researchers developing
the website
decided to further
the discussion
on women
and Canadian
water policy by
creating a central
online location
for information on the topic,
featuring research from NNEWH,
the Women’s Health Contribution
Program, and key outside sources.
As well as acting as an important
resource for academics and reity
for water.” Clearly, research
needs to explore the social and
cultural as well as physical health
implications of poor water quality
for women.
The first report on this
theme was created in partnership
with the Prairie Women’s Health
Centre of Excellence. Released in
April 2009, the Boil Water Advisory
Mapping Project looks at the
issue of water quality by examining
the data available on boil water
advisories in Canada – a recommendation
typically made when
the public has been alerted to take
precautionary measures, (e.g. boil
the water, at a rolling boil, for one
full minute) to protect against a
potential threat to health in public
drinking water.. Without a standard
measure of water quality in
place, advisories provide a quick,
although imperfect measure.
As well as reviewing these
advisories, the Boil Water Advisory
Mapping Project highlights the
important data
gaps that need to
be filled on topics
like waterborne
illnesses, the cost
of water to consumers,
and gender
analysis in all
of these issues. Future
work in this
area will focus on increasing the
understanding of water’s meanings
in Aboriginal communities, looking
particularly at gender implications,
as well as issues with regulations,
funding, infrastructure, and more.
CANADIAN WOMEN’S HEALTH NETWORK FALL/.WINTER 2009/2010 17