A feminist consciousness is more influential on a person's environmental awareness than whether they are male or female, a new report reveals.

Gender and Environmental Chemicals, a review by Women's Environmental Network (WEN) of existing research into the effects of synthetic chemicals and women's involvement in environmental policy-making, debunks the myth that women's concern for the environment is 'natural'.

"Women have been celebrated as 'custodians of the environment' and there are widespread perceptions that women care more about the environment than men," says the report, "However, research shows it is not gender so much as having a feminist consciousness - identifying with women's rights - that increases a person's environmental awareness."

Despite this, women have historically been excluded from risk assessments on synthetic chemicals, so potential side effects on women have not been spotted. "Social factors such as access to education, involvement in scientific research, political representation and access to power have all limited women's participation in decision-making, leading, by omission, to gendered decisions," it adds.

"Since women and men are different biologically, physiologically and sociologically, diseases and medical problems show up in them in different ways and gender roles mean the sexes are exposed to chemicals differently," says the review. It cites more than 140 scientific and social research papers and shows how multiple factors interplay to make women and men differently vulnerable to the effects of synthetic chemicals. More study and a precautionary approach is needed to understand the crucial role chemicals play in rising trends of various cancers, allergies, infertility, reproductive and developmental problems, how they interact with other factors such as diet, lifestyle or occupation and how they affect women and men differently.

The report calls for a gendered approach to international policy on chemicals and safety to protect women's health and help them participate more in setting future policy. It recommends support to women's groups and NGOs to bring women into decision-making and investigation of the barriers to women participating in environmental decision-making. It is accompanied by the results of two focus groups among women with experience of working for environmental justice, gender equality or better environmental health. These discussed barriers to women's involvement in environmental decision-making and possible solutions.

ENDS

Media contact: Liz Sutton, Communications Co-ordinator, 020 7481 9004.

Notes to editors:
1. WEN is a national membership charity that campaigns on environment and health issues from a women's perspective.

2. Gender and Environmental Chemicals (546k pdf), and Women in Decision Making (157k pdf), the report of the focus groups, are both published by Women's Environmental Network today, 28/03/07. Both can be downloaded free by clicking the links. Hard copies are available, price £20, from WEN.

3. Some 100,000 substances are listed in the European Inventory of Existing Commercial Chemical Substances. Studies have shown that we all carry a burden of chemicals in our bodies (ref WWF results of bio-monitoring exercises, and Environmental Working Group report, Body Burden, The Pollution of Newborns, 2005).