The hidden ways women are affected by plastic pollution
At first, you may wonder what gender has to do with plastic pollution. The chemicals in plastic harms everyone’s health with recent studies linking plastic-related chemicals and particles to reproductive disorders, cancers, neurological impacts and other long-term health risks.
However, the Heinrich Böll Foundation’s research shows that women are more likely to be exposed to the dangerous chemicals involved in plastic production and consumption.
But why is that?
Labour
The women working to dispose and manage our waste tend to work in the informal economy which has poorer job security, lower wages and worse protections. This leaves many female workers more exposed to toxic chemicals without any personal protective equipment.
An example of this would be, women and children in the global south, who often work in unofficial landfills and dumps. These burn plastic to recover metal components, a process which releases carbon monoxides, particulates and dioxins that greatly increase the risk of respiratory and neurological diseases.
Even if these women were given personal protective equipment, it wouldn’t be as effective as the equipment should be because it’s made for men’s sizes and needs since men make up the majority of the formal waste management workforce.
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Gender roles and biology
Many of the products women are expected to use have harmful plastic related chemicals. Women usually do the care work and housework. But the cleaning products they use everyday may contain harmful chemicals like phthalates, formaldehyde and forever chemicals (PFAs and PFCs).
The beauty products women are encouraged to own like lipstick and hairspray contain EDCs (endocrine disrupting chemicals), microplastics, parabens and formaldehyde. Even periods are affected by this issue since sanitary pads contain endocrine disruptors that can speed up hormonally triggered and other forms of cancer.
The EDCs in many plastics also affect women’s bodies differently. Women’s sensitivity to toxins increases in hormonally active periods like puberty, menstruation and pregnancy making chemicals with hormonal (endocrinological) effects particularly disruptive to development processes.
Can this be changed?
Feminist organisations like WECF (Women Engage for a Common Future) have suggested several ways governments can combat the issue of plastic pollution and acknowledge women's experiences.
1. Clear labelling detailing the toxicity levels of all plastics used in the workplace and households.
2. Vulnerable groups like children and pregnant women should be taken as the norm when assessing risks and determining guidelines.
3. Any global plastics treaty needs to have concrete targets for reducing the production of plastic and phasing out the use of hazardous chemicals in plastic production.
4. Marginalised communities such as indigenous communities and BiPOC women should be actively involved in important negotiations like the UN global treaty for plastic pollution.
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For more information contact: info@scarabtrust.org.uk
Images:
Woman sorting recycling - Image by Mumtahina Rahman from Pixabay (ST ref: 1426)
Fashion model in a salon - Image by StockSnap from Pixabay (ST ref: 1427)
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