Women and Chemicals

Existing initiatives
SAICM Ind. No. 7: Communicating
information on the risks associated
with chemicals to vulnerable groups
100 %
80 %
60 %
40 %
20 %
0 %
ICCA (2012) 2nd Update Report for the UN SAICM Implementation Indicators
sponsible Care Charter, which is the global chemical industry`s
environmental, health and safety initiative, does not refer to
women or gender. However, the ICCA 2 nd update report on SA-
ICM indicators 10 shows that many companies fail to achieve SA-
ICM indicator 7, which lists those countries (and organisations)
that have specific strategies in place for communicating information
on the risks associated with chemicals to vulnerable groups.
For a greater impact, the data collection should also include consultative
processes and training directed at vulnerable groups,
such as women, children, the elderly and migrant workers, and
take into consideration social and economic conditions. Clearly
there is a need for more information and awareness raising
among companies to recognize this important issue, and take
measures in order to achieve the 2020 goal of SAICM.
Governments
Updated
In Development
‘09 ‘11
WEOG
‘09 ‘11 ‘09 ‘11
CEE LAC
Region
Completed
No Progress
‘09 ‘11
APAC
The activities of governments on the issue of chemicals and
women reflect the wide range and diversity of aspects to be
addressed. They range from legislative action protecting women
from hazardous chemicals and information campaigns on
the issue to activities in international multi-stakeholder initiatives.
In most cases the activities are embedded in broader
fields like occupational health, gender mainstreaming, and
chemicals management. This fact makes it difficult to gain a
comprehensive overview.
Some countries have policies in place on e.g. maternal
health, but still difficulties can occur. Breadley describes that
in Canada, “maternal health protection is provided through a
mosaic of federal and provincial/territorial legislation and
regulation and individual workplace policies. The result of
these separate spheres is that there are gaps, overlaps and
contradictions between and among federal, provincial and
territorial legislation.” 11 The same can be stated for many
countries worldwide.
Yet some governments recently took specific measures to
inform and protect pregnant women from exposure to endocrine
disrupting chemicals. Denmark is one of the pioneers with
its awareness-raising campaign that informs pregnant women
about hazardous chemicals and their potential impact on the
health of their developing babies. 12 In Austria, pregnant women
can find information via an online brochure. 13
In December 2013, France passed a bill banning Bisphenol A,
a known endocrine disruptor, in food contact materials. The ban
took effect in January 2013 for all food contact materials for children
under the age of three years; and by January 2015 for pacifiers
and teething rings. In the interim, a warning label for pregnant
women indicating Bisphenol A (BPA) as an ingredient in a
specific product, was designed to make it possible for people to
reduce their exposure. Moreover, the law also bans the use of
DEHP, a reprotoxic phthalate, in infusion tubes used in neonatology
departments and by pregnant and breastfeeding women,
from January 2015.
The EU has a directive protecting women from hazardous
chemicals at the workplace while being pregnant, directly after
given birth and while breastfeeding. This directive includes a
broad range of chemicals. However, it lacks endocrine disrupting
substances.
As stated, it is difficult to get a significant overview on all initiatives
of governments. A good indicator is the first SAICM report
on the progress in the implementation of the Strategic Approach:
Results of preliminary data collection for 2009 and 2010. 14
For this report countries have been asked to share any specific
communication strategies by which they would raise awareness
on the risks associated with chemicals to vulnerable groups.
From the 92 responses, not only countries but also other stakeholders,
more than 40 per cent claimed to communicate chemical
safety to women.
However, the governments were not obliged to share the
content of these strategies. To take a further step, it would be
well worth to amend the questionnaire used for this report and
ask for more specific information about the activities taken.
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