Blog posts

wildcardenvironmentalist Blog, Cancer Prevention, News

International recognition for the work of the Alliance and its facilitator

The Alliance is so honoured and proud that our work and the lifetimes work of our facilitator Helen Lynn have been recognised in a new publication by the International POPS Elimination Network (IPEN). Women Leaders Addressing Chemicals and Waste Issues, featuring 10 inspiring and committed women leaders and their organisations, highlights women’s leadership from around the world working to address chemical health threats. We are especially honoured given the caliber of the other women leaders.

The report was developed within the framework of the United Nations Environment Program and its Global Environment Facility (GEF), under the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), executed by the SAICM Secretariat. It was produced with support from the Swedish Government.

People of all gender identities must have the same rights and opportunities to participate fully in their communities, free from the health threats posed by toxic chemicals. It is especially important to understand the factors that put women at risk from chemical health threats.

Women face greater risks from chemical exposures and experience higher rates of adverse health outcomes because of their physiology, different types of occupational exposures, and differential exposures to chemicals, including from personal care and household products. Women are also exposed to chemicals — such as endocrine disrupting chemicals, lead in paint, and chemicals in toys — that pose health threats during pregnancy and to their developing children.

These toxic exposures can lead to serious health problems that impact women’s lives and their opportunities to participate in their communities fully and equally. This is especially so for women in low-income communities who are often managing multiple pathways for toxic exposures and multiple obstacles to gender equality.

Women cannot be empowered nor gender equality achieved while exposures to hazardous chemicals put them at risk for cancer, chronic illnesses, infertility, and damage to their nervous systems.

In 2015, the United Nations Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “Gender Equality” is one of the goals (Goal 5) and the SDGs also recognize that gender equality is a prerequisite for reaching most of the other goals. Reducing and eliminating chemical exposures will also be essential for achieving all of the 17 goals.

The stories that follow highlight women across the globe who are leading work in their communities, nations, and internationally for stronger protections from harmful chemicals. Supporting their work and the work of countless other women who are leading similar efforts will be critical for achieving the SDGs.

Read the publication here.

wildcardenvironmentalist Blog, News

Response to UK Government’s Women’s Health Strategy

The Alliance compiled and submitted a response to the UK Governments Women’s Health Strategy and along with From Pink to Prevention, Wen (Women’s Environmental Network) and the Lincolnshire Cancer Project.

We considered there are considerable omissions in the strategy. The focus should be more on 21st century science, especially in relation to exposure to toxic chemicals in the home, workplace and in the wider environment and impacts on women’s health.

womens-health-strategy-consultationDownload
wildcardenvironmentalist Blog, Public health

12 Key Priority asks for the UK’s new Chemicals Strategy

The Alliance for Cancer Prevention has joined with 26 other UK public health and environmental NGOs in a letter to the UK Government outlining 12 Key Asks which we believe are fundamental to the UK’s new Chemicals Strategy.

joint-ngo-letter-12-key-asks-1Download

The 12 Key Asks prioritise protecting human health and wildlife from hazardous chemicals which are ubiquitous in our environment. Many of these chemicals have been linked with serious health outcomes including cancer, reproductive and developmental disorders, infertility and obesity. They are found in personal care or cleaning products we use or are exposed to on a daily basis in the home or workplace, and pollute our environment from production through to disposal.

12-key-asks-for-the-uk-chemical-strategyDownload

The UK Government promised a green new future after the UK’s departure from the gold standard European chemicals regulation, REACH. But this is looking increasingly unlikely. The consultation on the UK’s Chemical’s Strategy is expected later this year.

The 12 Key Asks cover a range of issues that need addressing in the new strategy:

  1. Apply the precautionary principle;
  2. Phase out the most hazardous chemicals from consumer products, for all non-essential uses;
  3. A plan to address endocrine disrupting chemicals including timelines to phase them out;
  4. Phase out the use of PFAS and other very persistent chemicals;
  5. Speed up regulation of harmful chemicals and avoid regrettable substitution by adopting a grouping approach;
  6. Address the combined exposure to chemicals – the ‘cocktail effect’;
  7. Maintain and expand on workers’ health and safety;
  8. Ensure a clean circular economy with products that are safe by design;
  9. Develop an effective monitoring and alert system;
  10. Stop the continued accumulation of legacy chemicals in the environment;
  11. Remain aligned with the world-leading chemical regulation EU REACH;
  12. Ensure more transparency and use of all relevant science for assessing health risks.

The Alliance is particularly concerned about exposure to hazardous chemicals linked to cancer given the rise in cancer rates from 1 in 3 to 1 in 2 adults and by 15% in children. And existing regulations on workplace exposure have done little to stem the rise of occupational cancer and disease.

Leading scientists working on chemical risk assessment and environmental health, also wrote to the Government to express serious concerns the lack of access to the EU’s chemicals database. The letter called on the government to restore access as a keystone in developing UK chemicals policy. All current and up to date information is required to make a judgement on the safety of a chemical so it can be used in a product and in the workplace.

We call on the UK Government to support the initiative making health and safety a fundamental human right. While also extending workplace legislation on carcinogens and mutagens to include reprotoxic substances protecting the most vulnerable, the embryo and the foetus, and so protecting all. The government is now in a position to lead the way in controlling hazardous chemicals and show they really do care about the health of the UK’s citizens, workers, wildlife and the environment.