Gender Equality

Gender and Environmental Management

Concern about the environment in China has become a central feature of national development policies. China is facing crucial environmental issues, such as air pollution, water pollution, forest depletion, and land degradation.

Women tend to be the most vulnerable to poor environmental management and ensuing environmental problems. Women are the most intimately involved in the day-to-day activities associated with the environment. For example, food preparation exposes them to indoor air pollution, water pollution and food pathogens; the tilling of land and other agrarian practices expose them to soil and land contamination; and maintenance of the home makes them more vulnerable to energy pollution and waste contamination. Women are most likely to be affected negatively by environmental degradation and resource depletion in terms of deteriorating health, limited access to resources and poorer quality of life, yet they are least likely to have an impact on policy-making decisions about environmental protection and sustainable development. (See UN INSTRAW: Training Manual: Women, Environmental Management and Sustainable Development  http://www.un-instraw.org/en/research/gaemsd/publications.html).

Because men and women are likely to have different roles in the family, community, and work force, they are likely to have different personal priorities when it comes to environmental protection at the local and community level. Men and women are also likely to have different interactions with the environment, which present each gender with different opportunities to protect it. Moreover, it is likely that men and women adopt different strategies and are the source of different types of knowledge regarding environmental protection. Therefore, the full participation of both men and women in environmental management is essential to achieving sustainable development. (see UNDP: Gender Mainstreaming in Practice: A Handbook – http://gender.undp.sk).

Gender and Cleaner Production

Industrial practices have released untreated air and water pollutants and generated hazardous waste. These cause occupational health problems for male and female factory workers as well as health problems for men, women, boys and girls in communities surrounding and downstream from industries. Women and men are likely to be affected differently by industrial pollution because their tasks and work patterns (both in the workforce and the household) differ.

Industrial pollution management (IPM) activities such as the implementation of cleaner production (CP) have the potential to impact both women and men positively. One of the first steps of the CP process is cleaning up the work environment and ensuring better plant health and safety. This reduces the incidence of occupational health problems for both male and female factory workers. The ultimate goal of CP is to make production more efficient and reduce the emission of pollutants into the environment, the end result being cleaner water and cleaner air. This will have significant salubrious effects on communities in and around the factories. The effects on men and women will differ depending on their roles in the plant and in the community.

Cleaner production activities can also provide training opportunities for women. CP requires the formation of cleaner production assessment and implementation teams. A small team from all levels of work (from production units up to management) receives training in cleaner production and then implements the CP activities. This is an opportunity for female workers to be involved in training about pollution of the environment and pollution management. Having received CP training, women would be better able to participate in environmental protection activities and will feel they have a stake in the IPM process. In particular, they will be able to bring their unique perspective to which environmental problems are most urgent, thus influencing the choice of CP solutions to be implemented.

Lastly, cleaner production can increase productivity and profitability, leading to plant expansion. Should this occur and ensue in the need to hire more workers, there would be the opportunity to hire more women as well as men. Conversely, because cleaner production makes an enterprise more efficient, there is potential for some enterprises to downsize their workforce. This could have a negative impact on women workers, if they are in redundant positions, or are not trained for tasks requiring more skills or knowledge.

Gender Integration in Environmental Protection

Integrating gender into environmental protection therefore requires the following:

Chinese Commitments to Gender Equality

Ratification of International Conventions

China is a to all the major international human rights treaties, including: 

The Beijing Declaration (1995) lists strategic objectives related specifically to gender and the environment.

These are:

National Legislative and Policy Measures on Gender Equality

China's commitment to gender equality is reflected in the Chinese Constitution and in many of the policies and legislative measures adopted by the Chinese Government, including the Law on the Protection of Rights and Interests of Women (promulgated in 1992) the revised Marriage Law (passed in 2001); and the Program for the Development of Chinese Women (2001-2010).

The Program for the Development of Chinese Women (2001-2010) (PDCW) lists women and the environment as one of its 6 priority areas for development. The major objectives listed are:

Additional Resources:

Gender Equality Policy Issues - summary of GE policy according to the Beijing Platform for Action, and recent changes in gender perspectives

China Canada Cooperation Project on Cleaner Production -- Gender Equality - project resources include examples of integrating gender issues into pollution prevention demonstrations. (see also CCCPCP wins award for GE Achievement, Nov. 2001)

China-Canada Cooperation Project Fact Sheet - Gender Equality and Cleaner Production - how GE and CP in China work together 

Program for the Development of Chinese Women (2001-2010) (PDCW) - http://www.women.org.cn/womenorg/English/english/whatisnws/07-25-01.htm or http://www.chinaembassy.org.pl/pol/26380.html - includes a section on Women and Environment

Gender Equality Links - databases, women's organizations, policy documents and much more 

Women in China Links - women's organizations and publications

From the website of Cleaner Production in China 
http://www.chinacp.com/eng/cppolicystrategy/cp_gender.html   
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