Women's Environmental Network is taking part in a day of discussion on HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY on Wednesday 28 August 2002, at the women's action tent in the Expo Centre (Nasrec) at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.
Helen Lynn, WEN's health co-ordinator, will speak about 'women taking action for a healthier planet', focusing on what women are doing to highlight links between chemical and other environmental pollution and various health effects. The afternoon programme is listed overleaf.

WEN is a key member of Women in Europe for a Common Future, which is co-organising the day. It is part of a week of events in the tent, which is being co-hosted by Women's Environment and Development Organisation (WEDO) and Ilitha Labantu. For a complete programme of activities in the tent visit www.wedo.org/sus_dev/tent.htm

WEN is a UK-wide charity and membership organisation which campaigns on health and environmental issues from a women's perspective. It is calling for preventive action to reduce harm to human health and the environment. For more info on WEN's activities, visit www.wen.org.uk.

On Friday, 30 August, WEN hopes to hold a photocall/media event near the Sandton Centre to highlight women's 'visions for a healthier planet'. WEN has collected hundreds of personal visions, written on rice paper doves, which it hopes to let fly, if the tight security around the centre allows. Doves were chosen as an internationally recognised symbol of hope and peace, whilst rice paper was used as it is biodegradable and will not cause environmental harm. The visions have also been collected together in a pocket-sized booklet. Copies have been given to leading UK delegates.

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For more information on Helen's talk and on release of the doves, contact Helen on 0795 7408303. UK newsdesks can contact Press & Information Co-ordinator, Liz Sutton, on (+44 20) 7481 9004.

Programme for Health & Environmental Security Day (afternoon events) Women's Action Tent, Expo Centre (Nasrec).

12:00
Afternoon opening plenary Welcome, Introductions, Explanation of Program by Sascha Gabizon/WECF and Dr. Mary Kawonga, Women's Health Project, School of Public Health, South Africa

12:15-16:00
Part I: Effects of Environmental Pollution on Women's Health Devra Lee Davis, USA - Key note presentation, followed by discussion
Visiting Professor, Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz School of Public Policy.
How environmental toxins affect human health, including breast cancer and why standard approaches to public health need to change.

(2pm) Women Taking Action for a Healthier Planet - Helen Lynn, Women's Environmental Network, UK

Dioxin and Endocrine Disrupters - Effects on Women's Health - Satoru Mizuguchi, People's Association on Counter-measure of Dioxin and Endocrine Disruptors, Japan

Health Effects of Pesticides on Women Plantation Workers - African Pesticide Action Network or Marcia Ishii-Eitemann, PAN-North America

Women's work-related health and necessary policy changes - Sophia Kisting, Occupational and Environmental Health Research Unit, Univ of Cape Town, SA

Effects of POPs Emissions on Health of Armenian Women - Liza Danielyan, Armenian Women for Health and a Healthy Environment

Discussion - moderated by Sascha Gabizon, WECF, Netherlands/Germany.

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The full programme for the day and for other activities in the Women's Action Tent is available from www.wedo.org/sus_dev/tent.htm