At the GGKP regional workshop for Latin America and the Caribbean on mainstreaming gender in National Implementation Plans (NIPs), Whitelocke-Ballingsingh shared a grounded set of approaches for governments to consider. She emphasised the need to begin with what already exists: align current policies, ensure enforcement, evaluate progress, and follow up with corrective action. Her central message was pragmatic—countries do not necessarily need new structures or large financial resources. Instead, they should first look inward at the regulations, data, and institutions already in place, and make the most of them.
Policy was identified as the logical starting point. Agriculture, vector control, health, and environmental sectors are all heavily affected by chemical exposure, with significant burdens placed on national budgets. Most countries already have laws and regulations in areas such as food safety, pesticide control, occupational health and safety, labour protections, and consumer affairs. The question, she argued, is not whether new laws are needed, but whether existing policies can be adjusted to include gender-transformative data and perspectives. This requires strong multisectoral collaboration: ministries of health and environment, civil society, the private sector, and academia working together to examine the full body of regulations at national, institutional, and industry levels. Such collaboration makes it possible to identify where gaps exist and how they can be filled. “All you need to do,” she stressed, “is look on these policies and see how best you can fill this gap.”
Yet policies are only as strong as their enforcement. Without clear compliance mechanisms, legislation risks remaining words on paper. Effective enforcement across ministries and institutions ensures that commitments are translated into practice. This, in turn, provides the foundation for evaluation. Evaluation, she explained, must not be treated as an afterthought. Health ministries already collect surveillance data on emerging diseases and illnesses across communities, and this information offers a valuable starting point. For example, governments can compare data from the past decade with new figures following the adoption of regulations, setting clear targets such as a one to three percent annual reduction in illness prevalence. Importantly, these results should always be analysed through a gender lens. Examining, for instance, cancer incidence in farming populations, governments can compare female and male mortality rates and then track how those rates change over five to ten years once new policies are enforced.
Evaluation naturally leads to follow-up action. Monitoring should be carried out on a regular schedule—annually, biannually, or every three years. Depending on the results, governments may review existing regulations when targets are not met, amend specific sections that require strengthening, or continue enforcement when implementation is effective. This cycle of review, adjustment, and action allows NIPs to remain responsive and continuously improving.
Whitelocke-Ballingsingh also reminded participants that the real barrier is often not the absence of data, but the failure to record, report, and collate it systematically. National health systems already generate a wealth of information—through accident and emergency departments, private and public hospitals, and laboratory records. The challenge is to assemble teams to go through this information, disaggregate it, and establish baseline indicators. Only once these resources are fully examined should governments consider new primary data collection. As she concluded, “Try to utilise as much of what you have in country to make it work for your system.”
This blog post was developed drawing on insights from the GGKP regional workshop for Latin America and the Caribbean “Mainstreaming Gender in National Implementation Plans under the Stockholm Convention” held on 26 August 2025. As part of the Global NIP Update project (GEF ID 10785), funded by GEF and led by UNEP, this workshop shared practical insights on integrating gender into NIPs, featuring experiences from the national project experts, civil society and community groups.
To learn more about the Global NIP Update project, visit Global NIP Update | Green Policy Platform
For a deeper dive into the GGKP gender workshop focused on Latin America and the Caribbean, you can access the full recordings and materials here: https://www.greenpolicyplatform.org/webinar/regional-workshop-latin-america-and-caribbean-mainstreaming-gender-national-implementation
Authors:
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Sherika Whitelocke-Ballingsingh, Poison Information Coordinator, CARPIN, University of Technology, Jamaica |
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Soomin Bae, Knowledge Management Support Consultant, GGKP/GGGI
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