event organised by the Global Network for Women Ministers, at the occasion of
the International Conference on Chemicals Management, Dubai
6 February 2006
WHY GENDER MATTERS, WOMEN AS AGENTS FOR CHANGE
Program Director
Your Excellencies
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
As we gather here today in Dubai, let us recall our commitment that we made
in Johannesburg in 2002 during the World Summit on Sustainable Development. We
committed ourselves to sound management of chemicals for sustainable
development as well as the protection of human health and the environment. Our
main aim was to ensure that chemicals are used and produced in ways that are
not detrimental to human health and the environment using both scientific and
community-based approaches.
Chemicals are central to socio-economic development, and over the next 20
years, global output of chemicals is projected to increase by 85% with the
largest increase likely to be in developing countries.
Women are exposed to toxic agricultural chemicals be it pesticides or
fertilises which interfere with reproductive system. Women working as
housekeepers may be exposed to poisoning from the unsafe handling and storage
of household chemicals. In poor communities these dangers are exacerbated by
unsafe water supply, unsafe working conditions, illiteracy and lack of
empowerment on chemical management.
Children are especially vulnerable to exposure to chemicals: from coated
food. For a child, a world of unmanaged chemicals use is a dangerous and life
threatening world.
Progress thus far with regard to the above is that:
The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPS) held its
Conference of Parties (COP 1) in Uruguay last year.
The Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent Procedures for Certain
Hazardous Chemicals held its COP 1 in Geneva last year.
South Africa hosted the summit on Globally Harmonised Systems in
Johannesburg last year.
Right here in Dubai, we are now attending the International Conference on
Chemical Management where we will be adopting the Strategic Approach to
International Chemicals Management.
However, the following are the major challenges that we still need to
overcome:
* Implementation of Multilateral Environment Agreements (MEAs) at national
and local levels.
* Development of partnerships to manage chemicals in an environmentally sound
manner.
* Prevention of illegal trade and trafficking of chemicals.
* Development of coherent and integrated information on chemicals.
* Reduction of risk to human health and environment.
When women from all regions of the world met in 2004 at UNPEâs Global
Womenâs Assembly on Environment in Nairobi, we made a commitment to continue
the struggle for a peaceful, just and healthy environment for all. As leaders
and change agents for change, we advocated for the full implementation of
womenâs rights by supporting activities that contribute to gender justice, a
cleaner and safer environment and a better life for our communities.
It is often said that âyou empower a woman, you empower a nation. You
empower a man, you empower an individualâ. Women should therefore be afforded
opportunities to play a meaningful role in chemicals management if we are to
overcome the above challenges.
National Action Plans that have been developed for the implementation of the
four MEAs on Chemicals, namely, the Basel Convention, the Rotterdam Convention,
the Stockholm Convention and the Montreal Protocol are more industry-focused
and not community-based. As most industries are led by men, this approach has
resulted in the exclusion of women in the implementation of chemicals
management strategies. Therefore, I would urge this meeting to call for the
development of community-based actions plans as a matter of urgency.
I would like to share with you some of the awareness programmes that South
Africa is involved in. We have:
âSTOPâ programme. STOP stands for Safety Towards Our People, which is aimed
at raising awareness of communities on the whole cycle of managing or handling
household chemicals including their use, storage, disposal of obsolete
chemicals and disposal of empty containers.
Another important programme is the Paraffin Safety Programme which focuses
on the poisonings caused by paraffin, particularly among children.
We are in the process of revisiting our national legislation and developing
regulations to control the production and use of chemicals that pose a serious
health hazard especially to vulnerable groups.
Children play an important role in our society as they are the leadership
for the future and they particularly carry the baton of protecting the
environment and human health. It is critical that we protect them against
global problems such as:
* Child labour through which children are also exposed to dangerous working
conditions.
* Poisoning by chemicals on farms, mothers carrying babies on their backs while
working on farms.
* Injury and death by fire.
* Hunger, poverty and starvation because of drought.
* Exposure to pollution due to emissions and bad waste management
practices.
Environmental degradation leads to extreme poverty especially in rural areas
where women depend on natural resources for livelihoods. It is therefore
important that women are actively involved in the planning and execution of
environmental management strategies particularly in fields that are male
dominated such as chemicals management.
In conclusion, I would like to urge all of us to work tirelessly and
relentlessly until we achieve the full realisation womenâs rights including
access to and ownership of essential resources such as clean sustainable
energy, water, land and natural resources.
Thank you.
Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
6 February 2006
Source: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (http://www.deat.gov.za)
