Gender & Chemicals in International Policy
Since the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women, gender mainstreaming has been a cornerstone of international development policy. The Beijing Platform for Action identified “women and health” and “women and the environment” — including the gendered impacts of chemicals and waste — as critical areas for action. SDG 5 and the 2030 Agenda have since reaffirmed these goals, calling on all countries and stakeholders to drive meaningful change.
The connection between gender and chemicals is now firmly embedded in major international policy processes on chemicals and waste management:
- The Global Framework on Chemicals (GFC) includes gender equality as a core principle, reflected in two of its targets. The Bonn Declaration explicitly recognizes that chemicals disproportionately affect women and children, and that gender equality supports safer chemical management. A dedicated gender resolution (Resolution V/4) was adopted at ICCM5.
- The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions have integrated gender equality into their implementation since 2013, with a Gender Action Plan (GAP) regularly updated — most recently in 2023.
- The Minamata Convention on Mercury pays specific attention to the needs of vulnerable populations, especially women and children, in several parts of its text. Principles of gender equality are embedded in the current Programme of Work of the Minamata Convention. A Gender Action Plan was adopted by the fifth meeting of the Conference of the Parties in 2023.
Regional & National Implementation
At the regional level, the European Union’s Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (2020) highlights the need for safer chemicals management, with particular attention to protecting vulnerable population groups such as pregnant women, as well as improved monitoring of chemicals in humans and ecosystems, including efforts to better understand the links between chemicals and gender.
At national level, UN Special Rapporteur Dr Marcos Orellana has emphasized in his report on “Gender and hazardous substances” (2024) the obligation of states to ensure that chemicals and waste policies do not reinforce or deepen gender inequalities, but instead actively address them. In this context, National Focal Points—designated government representatives responsible for coordinating and implementing international chemicals and waste agreements— are key actors for gender-responsive regulation and the implementation of projects to empower women and girls in chemicals management.
Gender & Chemicals in Organisations/Businesses
Beyond governments, organisations and businesses also play a critical role. Gender mainstreaming is a cross-sectoral responsibility and should be part of corporate sustainability strategies. International frameworks such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and OECD Due Diligence Guidance or the new ISO 53800:2024 Guidelines for the promotion and implementation of gender equality and women’s empowerment, as well as emerging supply chain legislation, increasingly call on companies to incorporate gender considerations into their business operations, workplace safety, and supply chains. In practice, this can include assessing gender-differentiated exposure to hazardous substances, promoting equal access to safe working conditions, and ensuring that women are meaningfully represented in decision-making processes across operations and value chains.
