WUNRN
UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR RIGHT TO
HEALTH REPORT TO THE UN 2012 - OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH - GENDER - FORMAL &
INFORMAL ECONOMY
http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session20/A-HRC-20-15_en.pdf - Type size larger for easier reading.
Gender
47. With respect to all of the above, it is
critical that a gendered perspective be adopted in the formulation and
implementation of occupational health laws and policies. A gender-based
approach recognizes that biological and socio-cultural factors play a significant
role in influencing the health of men and women. The disaggregation of health
and socio-economic data according to sex is essential in the monitoring and
evaluation of all occupational health laws and policies.
48. In many respects, women are particularly
vulnerable to negative health impacts resulting from conditions of work. The
majority of women who work are employed in the informal sector, particularly in
the lowest paid, lowest skilled jobs, where they are more likely to be exposed
to hazardous working conditions.47 Women are on average paid less than men for the same
work,48 and are more likely to experience violence and harassment in the
workplace.49 Further, many occupational exposures are hazardous to
reproductive organs, having serious implications for the sexual and
reproductive health of female workers.50 For example, women of childbearing age, as well as
pregnant women working in agriculture, are exposed to highly hazardous
pesticides that risk not only their health but also the health of their
children.51 Children born with congenital disorders due to in utero exposure to
toxic chemicals endure disabilities for life.52 These problems are compounded
by the fact that work-related diseases affecting women are often underdiagnosed
and undercompensated as compared to men.53
