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Women and
Environmental Justice
Women and Environmental
Justice
• About WHIN
• What is Environmental Justice?
• Women and Environmental Justice
• Aspects of Environmental Justice
About WHIN
• Regional women’s health service for NMR and
one of 11 specialist services in Victoria.
• Covering Banyule, Darebin, Hume, Moreland,
Nillumbik, Whittlesea and Yarra.
• 20 years experience in providing services
Women’s Health Promotion
Women’s Health In the North (WHIN) aims
to strengthen women’s health and wellbeing,
with a strategic focus on preventing violence
against women, sexual and reproductive
rights, economic participation and
environmental sustainability.
What is Environmental Justice (EJ)?
‘…the fair treatment for
people of all races, cultures
and incomes regarding the
development of
environmental laws,
regulations and policies’
(Environmental Protection Agency, USA)
Women and EJ
Why should a gendered perspective be included in EJ
analysis?
1. Women are generally poorer than men.
2. The social construction of womanhood restricts
women’s behaviour.
3. Women live longer than men.
1. Women are generally poorer
than men
• Worldwide, women earn just over 50c to every dollar
earned by a men.
• In Australia, women earn about 18% less than men.
• 55% of women in their 60s have no superannuation.
Why?
• Women do more unpaid work and
have more caring responsibilities.
– Women are much more likely to be
lone parents.
• Segregation of women into lowpaying work.
• Steven Pressman, 2003: Feminist
Explanations for the Feminization
of Poverty
2. The Social Construction of
Womanhood
• More women died in floods in Bangladesh because they are
not taught to swim and because culturally-specific clothing
(e.g. saris) restrict movement.
• In Australia, women in male-headed households are less likely
to be familiar with bushfire protection procedures.
• Women are less likely to use cars than men, resulting in a
greater reliance on public transport.
• Women are more vulnerable to domestic violence and rape
after natural disasters.
3. Women live longer than men
Life expectancy for
Australians:
Men: 79.4
Women: 84.35
Intersections of discrimination
‘Gendered vulnerability does not derive from a
single factor… but reflects historically and culturally
specific patterns of relations in social institutions,
culture and personal lives. Intersecting with
economic, racial and other inequalities, these
relationships create hazardous social conditions
placing different groups of women differently at
risk.’ (Enarson 1998)
Economic Participation
Housing
• Poorer areas more likely to
be polluted
• Fuel poverty
• Protection against heatwaves
• Rental housing
• Homeless women
Transport
• Importance of mobility
• Women use cars less often, public transport more
often
• Problems exacerbated by urban planning
• Women in rural areas
Food Insecurity
• Women are traditionally in charge of household
food supplies
• Related to poverty
• Women in rural areas
• Homeless women
Women and Natural Disaster
Disasters
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Preparing for disasters
Evacuation
Aftermath
Emergency management
Disaster education
Heatwaves
• Women and
thermoregulation
• Who is at risk?
• The elderly, children
• Women?
• Socio-economic
status/education level?
Why might women be more
at risk?
Mental Health
Women and Mental Health
• Women are more vulnerable to ‘internalising
disorders’ such as depression and anxiety.
• Men are more vulnerable to ‘externalising
disorders’, e.g. aggression.
• Why?
• Impoverished groups are at a greater risk of
mental health problems.
Climate Change and Mental Health
• Increase in number and severity of natural
disasters.
• Increased risk of injury and physical health
problems.
• Endangerment of natural and social environments.
• Corollary effects
• Effects of adaptation
Climate change, mental health
and women
• Very little research
• Expectation that existing risks would be
magnified
Climate Change
and Rural
Women
Rural Women
• Australian agriculture is highly male-dominated.
• Women’s work is often ignored and specific
needs are not considered.
• Women have little presence in decision-making.
Rural Women and Drought
• Women forced to seek off-farm work to supplement
family income.
• Personal relationships put under stress.
• Instability within family.
• Women became farm financial managers.
• Women usually excluded from decision-making.
• Children.
Children, the Elderly and the
Disabled
Children
• 88% of the burden of disease due to climate change
falls on children.
• Physiology
• Mental age
• Burden on women
The Elderly
• Physiological effects of ageing
• In disasters
• Knowledge transfer
The Disabled
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10% of any population, but often invisible
Women with disabilities
Disasters
Building alliances
Decision-Making and
Leadership
Women and Leadership
• Equal representation
• Women constitute 13% of
government officials worldwide
• Women in environmental
movements
• Critical mass
Conclusion
How are these issues
relevant to women living in
Melbourne?
Contact Details
Cathy Weiss
Research Assistant – EJ priority area
Women’s Health In the North
680 High Street
Thornbury 3071
9484 1666
[email protected]
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