Speaking of women using technology to finding innovative solutions...
meet Tanya Beri a young woman from London who is developing an App able to notify users which Tube stations have the highest levels of air pollution.

The London Tube is used by up to five million people per day, but almost all of them are breathing in at least two times the amount of harmful particles deemed acceptable by WHO, and seven times as much if they are on the Central line.

Through the app, users will be able to see which Tube stops have the worst pollution and then choose a different route that has less. This particularly important for travelers with lungs conditions.

For reference, nearly 40,000 deaths per year across the UK are thought to be linked to long-term air pollution which is a major issue globally.

Read the article to find out more!

I increasingly hear that women are thriving in the waste sector, especially in public positions, and this is due to increased levels of formal and STEM education. But this article indicates that "even women with higher levels of formal education are struggling to land and retain jobs in the organised sector." Even though women are seeking and acquiring Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) --upwards of 40% (for example in India), barely 14% are employed.

The article makes the point that tackling the climate crisis, which is cross-sectoral and linked with chemicals, waste, and how we manage them, needs to respond to the "climate gap". Insisting on a more holistic lens that notes socioeconomic issues are not standalone problems and need to be incorporated into environmental policy, planning and action. This can be facilitated by "gendered research" and a gender-responsive approach such as ISLANDS is implementing and advocating simultaneously that "[w]omen in STEM have the potential to lead investigations and develop policies that take into account the needs and perspectives of those most affected, leading to more well-rounded solutions."

What examples of gendered research have you seen in your city, country, or region? Does the data and evidence support planning and decision-making in environmental spaces?

Next week the World Ocean Summit celebrates its tenth anniversary from February 27th to March 1st in Lisbon. The Summit aims to examine the greatest challenges facing the ocean: climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution--the triple threat nexus. These all intersect with our ISLANDS Programme because an integrated approach across sectors is imperative for action and amplification of a sustainable and resilient approach in the Large Ocean States economies. This includes the need for sustainable financing and integration of a circular economy with sound chemical and waste management to reduce the triple threat and bringing shipping, fishing and aquaculture, and tourism sectors to the planning and decision-making table, just as ISLANDS is doing. This all must be part of the conversation for ecosystem and community resilience, but the Summit does seem to lack a commitment to and space to discuss pathways for gender-transformation across Oceans work.
If you'll be there, keep us posted on key interventions, proposals, and new opportunities for our Community members. And as ISLANDS members, please remember that you can be an advocate for ensuring gender equality and social inclusion are at the forefront of all of these conversations, sessions, and any outcomes as our ISLANDS people ARE the frontline of impact but also solutions.

Gender & Technology - what's the nexus?

Gender analysis of the use of technology reveals a historically unequal power relationship between women and men. Differences in access to economic resources and knowledge, together with gender norms and perceptions of technology, can sideline women from technological developments.

Moreover, research shows that despite a shortage of skills in most technological areas, gender disparity still exists in the field. Women make up less than a third of the workforce across science, technology and engineering. Women scientists are typically given smaller research grants than their male colleagues, and their work tends to be underrepresented in high-profile journals.

While the gap is real, there are also examples of great female leadership in science and technology. Read this article to find out more about women who are pushing boundaries and using science to help tackle the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss and pollution and waste!

Hi all, I found this article today by UNEP reporting that Gabon, Jamaica and Sri Lanka have joined forces to reduce the environmental and health toll of the skin lightening industry. Some of my NGO colleagues in SAICM and the Minamata Convention are doing awareness-raising campaigns, e.g. in the Philippines, and we have written a blog article on gender and bleaching products in 2020: http://gender-chemicals.org/genderchemicals-and-cosmetics.

What are your experiences - are skin-lightening products an increasing problem in your countries? Are the products used by women and men? And are there any good awareness-raising campaigns?

Greetings everyone!

Thank you very much for the opportunity to be a part of such a significant movement. I look forward to working with you all in the future.

Anya

"In the decade following the birth or adoption of their first child, scientist-mums published at least ten fewer papers on average than did scientist-fathers. Women were also three times more likely than men to say that they received fewer offers of professional opportunities after becoming parents, and roughly one-third of mothers in full-time STEMM positions ultimately left their jobs."

This may not be a revelation, but needs to be more firmly cemented as part of the conversation for women in the STEMM field. Women participate in all types of different STEMM roles and in ISLANDS this will be critical for scientific study, innovation, and technology. We have to ensure funding, adequate support systems (at home and provided by government-backed initiatives), mentorship, and growth, and a pipeline for girls to be engaged, stay engaged, and have equal opportunities as their scientist-fathers and male counterparts later in life. Funding equity for gender equity.

Hi everyone :),

We still know too little about the gender-specific effects of chemicals. The future science-policy panel on chemicals, waste and pollution can change that - and that is why I was in Bangkok last week with Ruth Spencer and the Women's Major Group to advocate for a gender-responsive science-policy panel.

You can find my report here: http://gender-chemicals.org/brief-report-oewg1-2-on-a-science-policy-pa…, and if you have any questions please let me know :)!

Best wishes
Anna

February 11 is International Day of Women and Girls in Science (IDWGIS)! How are you celebrating and uplifting the accomplishments of women while creating opportunities for girls?

ISLANDS is working across the project to advance and enhance engagement, empowerment, and leadership of women and girls in science (and STEM), which is linked with the upcoming thematic focus of this year's UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW): digital technology.

There are now, and increasingly we'll see, a multitude of employment opportunities created by the internet, communications and technology (ICT) sector. Women and girls need to be encouraged to opt for ICT and science subjects at school--we can look to green growth jobs!--as this sector offers greater opportunities in terms of employment and career prospects as our communities, countries and globally we shift to a circular economy technology will need to be at the forefront of this revolution.

A project in Fiji implemented by ADB shares some insights on green jobs for women and technology opportunities being deployed with skills-training: https://development.asia/explainer/how-green-jobs-women-help-promote-ge…

Informal waste workers--largely women--are joining efforts with the private sector and governments to solidify their role in a circular economy that is inclusive and just. This experience from Latin America with Dow's Sustainability and Recycling program highlights different technological advancements turning waste into valuable resources and products for workers, cooperatives, entrepreneurs and their communities--worth investigating for application in SIDS and ISLANDS.
The program is also making important connections with the digital world in communicating, mapping and educating the public on the solutions.
What technological solutions are you seeing or learning about to close the loop in different waste cycles? Marina Keil any examples you have to share from your experience?