AFRO-NETS> New PRB publication on gender and the environment

[Donna Clifton <dclifton@prb.org>]

New PRB publication on gender and the environment
-------------------------------------------------

The Population Reference Bureau (PRB) is pleased to announce the publi-
cation of "Women, Men and Environmental Change: The Gender Dimensions 
of Environmental Policies and Programs." This is the second in PRB's 
series on emerging policy issues in Population, Health, and Environ-
ment: Making the Link. It examines the gender dimensions of environ-
mental policies and programs, highlighting how gender differences play 
a part in natural resource use, how resource depletion affects women 
and men differently, and what has been done worldwide to integrate gen-
der concerns in environmental planning. 

Women and men have different opportunities to participate in decisions 
regarding natural resource use. These opportunities reflect gender-
based roles and responsibilities in their lives, families, households, 
and communities and are based on different access to, control over, and 
knowledge of natural resources. Understanding the dynamics between gen-
der and the environment helps decision makers develop realistic strate-
gies to manage natural resources sustainably and to plan for better hu-
man health and well-being. 

The paper is being used by women ministers of the environment from 36 
countries in an unprecedented meeting hosted by the ministry of the en-
vironment of Finland, the World Conservation Union (IUCN), and the 
Council for Women Leaders from Harvard University. The ministers along 
with other leaders from around the world will meet in Helsinki, 
Finland, on March 7-8, 2002 to draft recommendations for the World Sum-
mit on Sustainable Development (Rio+10), August 26-September 4, in Jo-
hannesburg, South Africa.

Please see the attached press release for more information on this new
publication.

If you would like to request copies, please contact PRB or access the 
publication online at PRB's website (http://www.prb.org). For more in-
formation on PRB's Population Health and Environment (PHE) Program, 
please visit PRB's website (http://www.prb.org) or write to us: 
mailto:PHE@prb.org. 


Donna Clifton
MEASURE Communication
Population Reference Bureau
1875 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Suite 520
Washington, DC 20009, USA
Tel: +1-202-483-1100
Fax: +1-202-328-3937
mailto:dclifton@prb.org
http://www.prb.org

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Press Release
February 20, 2002

Contact: 
Justine Sass <jsass@prb.org>
Roger-Mark DeSouza <rdesouza@prb.org>
Nancy Yinger <nyinger@prb.org> 

Women?s Voice Essential to Effective Environmental Planning

WASHINGTON  Involving women in environmental planning is key to de-
veloping effective policies and programs to safeguard the environ-
ment, according to a policy brief by the Population Reference Bureau 
(PRB) released today.

The paper points out that men and women use natural resources differ-
ently because of their disparate roles and responsibilities in fami-
lies and communities, access to and control over resources, and au-
thority to make decisions about resource use. Consequently, they are 
affected differently by changes in environmental policies. 

A forestry management plan that helps men cut timber for sale may 
make women?s work gathering fuelwood more difficult. A coastal man-
agement decision restricting use of estuaries to save fragile man-
groves won?t affect the men who fish in the open seas, but may force 
women of the area to find another source of timber for fuel. Without 
enough fuelwood, households may have to economize by eating foods 
that don?t have to be cooked, but may be less nutritious. 

?Ignoring gender distorts the understanding of human impacts on the 
environment,? Justine Sass, policy analyst at PRB, writes in the pol-
icy brief, ?Women, Men, and Environmental Change: The Gender Dimen-
sions of Environmental Policies and Programs.?

The paper is being used by women ministers of the environment from 36 
countries in an unprecedented meeting hosted by the ministry of the 
environment of Finland, the World Conservation Union (IUCN), and the 
Council for Women Leaders from Harvard University. The ministers 
along with other leaders from around the world will meet in Helsinki, 
Finland, on March 7-8, 2002 to draft recommendations for the World 
Summit on Sustainable Development (Rio+10), August 26-September 4, in 
Johannesburg, South Africa.

The paper explains that social roles define the different ways in 
which men and women use natural resources. In much of the developing 
world, men work harvesting crops, grazing livestock, logging, fish-
ing, and mining, while women?s work includes additional domestic 
tasks such as cooking and fetching water and fuelwood. 

Economic, institutional, and legal constraints affect the way men and 
women use resources. In countries that restrict women?s rights to own 
land, women have little incentive to invest in soil conservation. Ad-
ditionally, without land rights, women often lack collateral for 
loans and may have difficulty accessing new technology or hiring la-
bor, placing innovative land management beyond their grasp.

Environmental degradation also affects men and women differently. De-
forestation, for example, can mean that men who log for a living must 
travel farther for work. For women, deforestation and water scarcity 
can mean having to spend larger amounts of their time gathering fuel-
wood and water. Because girls are often responsible for these chores, 
the extra time required can contribute to higher school dropout 
rates.

Some countries have integrated gender assessments into their environ-
mental decision-making processes, according to the paper. In 1995, 
Uganda adopted a National Environmental Plan that includes a gender 
analysis for environmental planning, and Malawi?s National Environ-
mental Policy calls for involvement of gender, youth and child con-
cerns into environmental planning at all levels. Mexico and countries 
in Central America have also issued a statement about the importance 
of incorporating gender in environmental policies to achieve sustain-
able development. This is the first such event to occur at the re-
gional level. 

?Understanding these gender differences is an essential part of de-
veloping policies aimed at both better environmental outcomes and im-
proved health and well-being,? Sass writes in the brief.

Founded in 1929, the Population Reference Bureau is the leader in 
providing timely and objective information on U.S. and international 
population trends and their implications. PRB is a nonprofit, nonad-
vocacy organization, in Washington, DC. Additional copies can be ob-
tained free of charge to the media. Contact PRB, or access the brief 
online at PRB?s website: http://www.prb.org

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