Draft Platform for Action
K. [Lack of adequate recognition and support for] [Promote] [women's contribution to managing natural resources and safeguarding the environment] [Women and the environment]
Strategic objective K.2. Ensure integration of gender concerns and perspectives in policies and programmes for sustainable development
Actions to be taken
256. By Governments:
(a) [Integrate the perspectives and knowledge of all women, including indigenous women, on sustainable resource management in the development of policies and programmes for sustainable development, including in particular, those designed to address and prevent environmental degradation of the land;]
(b) Evaluate policies and programmes in terms of environmental impact and women's equal access to and use of natural resources;
(c) Ensure adequate research to assess how and to what extent women are particularly susceptible or exposed to environmental degradation and hazards, including, as necessary, research and data collection on specific groups of women, particularly women with low income, indigenous women and women belonging to minorities;
(d) [Integrate rural women's traditional knowledge and practices of sustainable resource use and management in the development of environmental management and extension programmes;]
(e) Integrate the results of gender-sensitive research into mainstream policies with a view to developing sustainable human settlements;
(f) Promote the knowledge of and sponsor research on the role of women, particularly rural and indigenous women, in food gathering and production, soil conservation, irrigation, watershed management, sanitation, coastal zone and marine resource management, integrated pest management, land-use planning, forest conservation and community forestry, fisheries, natural disaster prevention, and new and renewable sources of energy, focusing particularly on indigenous women's knowledge and experience;
(g) Develop a strategy for change to eliminate all obstacles to women's full and equal participation in sustainable development and equal access to [and control over] resources; (h) Promote the education of girls and women of all ages in science, technology and economics, and other disciplines relating to the natural environment, so that they can make informed choices and offer informed input in determining local economic, scientific and environmental priorities for the management and appropriate use of natural and local resources and ecosystems;
(i) Develop programmes to involve female professionals and scientists, as well as technical, administrative and clerical workers, in environmental management, develop training programmes for girls and women in these fields, expand opportunities for the hiring and promotion of women in these fields and implement special measures to advance women's expertise and participation in these activities;
(j) Identify and promote environmentally sound technologies that have been designed, developed and improved in consultation with women and that are appropriate to both women and men;
(k) Support the development of women's equal access to housing infrastructure, safe water, and sustainable and affordable energy technologies, such as wind, solar, biomass and other renewable sources, through participatory needs assessments, energy planning and policy formulation at the local and national levels;
(l) Ensure that clean water is available and accessible to all by the year 2000 and that environmental protection and conservation plans are designed and implemented to restore polluted water systems and rebuild damaged watersheds.
257. By international organizations, non-governmental organizations and private sector institutions:
(a) Involve women in the communication industries in raising awareness regarding environmental issues, especially on the environmental and health impacts of products, technologies and industry processes;
(b) Encourage consumers to use their purchasing power to promote the production of environmentally safe products and encourage investment in environmentally sound and productive agricultural, fisheries, commercial and industrial activities and technologies;
(c) Support women's consumer initiatives by promoting the marketing of organic food and recycling facilities, product information [and product labelling, including labelling of toxic chemicals and pesticide containers for those who are illiterate].
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