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

even though these associations
are often deemed controversial
in the medical community (e.g.
fibromyalgia, Multiple Chemical
Sensitivity Syndrome), tend to be
diagnosed at much higher rates in
women than men.
Fitting sex and gender
into the Chemicals
Management Plan
In response to this important
initiative underway at Health
Canada and Environment Canada,
and recognizing the importance of
attention to sex- and gender-based
aspects of it, the National Network
on Environments and Women’s
Health (NNEWH) has undertaken
a project to foster citizen engagement
among women and women’s
groups in the CMP. Janelle Witzel
from Environmental Defence supports
this engagement. “Women’s
involvement and interest in the
case of BPA was instrumental in
prompting government action”,
she said. “There is a large potential
for women’s voice and participation
in the CMP process ... that
could lead to policy change.”
The project, which the Canadian
Women’s Health Network is
consulting on, will involve a public
forum slated for February 2010,
following a web-based survey seeking
input from a broad range of
women across Canada. For more
information on these initiatives,
check the websites of NNEWH
(www.nnewh.org) and CWHN
(www.cwhn.ca) for updates.
Anne Rochon Ford is the Co-Director of
the National Network on Environments
and Women`s Health and Coordinator
of the national working group Women
and Health Protection.
Dolon Chakravartty is a graduate
student in Public Health Sciences and
Collaborative Program in Environment
& Health at the University of Toronto.
She is the Graduate Fellow working
with the National Network on
Environments and Women’s Health from
the Fall 2009 - Spring 2010.
FURTHER READINGS:
Altman, R.G., R. Morello-Frosch,
J.G. Brody, R. Rudel, P. Brown,
and M. Averick. (2008). Pollution
comes home and gets personal:
Women’s experience of household
chemical exposure. Journal of
Health and Social Behavior, 49(4):
417-435. Available on line through
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/
Steingraber, Sandra. (2007, August).
The falling age of puberty in girls:
What we know, what we need to
know. San Francisco, CA: Breast
Cancer Fund. Available on line at
www.breastcancerfund.org. Steingraber
is careful to point out that a
myriad of factors seem to be contributing
to this trend, environmental
exposures being one significant
one.
O’Grady, Kathleen. (2008/2009,
Fall-Winter). Early puberty for
girls. The new ‘normal’ and why we
need to be concerned. Network,
11(1): 11-13. Available on line at
www.cwhn.ca/en/node/39365
“Managing” the Chemicals
“Management” can include a wide variety of policy measures; the choice
is almost enrely at the discreon of the Government of Canada. While
outright bans, and placing limits on producon, use, import and
emissions of dangerous substances by regulaon are all possible, they
are done relavely rarely.
8 FALL/.WINTER 2009/2010 NETWORK