Planetary Health & Gender Equality

Service Description

On an average day, women globally spend about three times as many hours on unpaid domestic and care work as men. In Northern Africa and Western Asia that gender gap is even higher, with women spending more than seven times as much as men on these activities. However, the undeniable contributions of their work remain mostly invisible and non-remunerated while simultaneously preventing them from participating in the labor market, accessing quality health care services, and creatively implement solutions that would help all of us to live in a healthier, cleaner, and safer planet. Despite all discrepancies, many societies hold women as the pillars of their families and the backbones of communities. They are at the heart of the caring economy but lack equal opportunities in our societies, especially in leadership positions. This six-week course explores this contradiction, informing how unproductive this scenario is for planetary health. Despite women being at the core of our most fundamental societal roles, they remain excluded from leadership positions. The lack of diversity has negative impacts not only on women but on society as a whole. More than describing the challenges, our program focuses on the most creative and prominent ways to promote gender equality to accelerate the implementation of policies that support planetary health mainstreaming in public policies. Each weekly session will take place at 1:30 pm (CET) and will last for 90 minutes. We show that gender equality is a win-win strategy to promote a healthier and more sustainable future for all. Although many studies and projects are dedicated to gender topics, little is found on the triple synergies among health, environment, and gender. Open to everyone, including men, this course is timely and relevant given that gender analysis in the field of planetary health studies remains overlooked. By joining this community of practice, we expect you to actively help us co-create knowledge for transformative action, especially in the Global South.