Bread and roses: a gender perspective on environmental justice and public health

Bell, K. (2016) Bread and roses: a gender perspective on environmental justice and public health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 13(10), 1005. (doi: 10.3390/ijerph13101005) (PMID:27754351) (PMCID:PMC5086744)

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Abstract

Gender continues to be a relatively marginal issue in environmental justice debates and yet it remains an important aspect of injustice. To help redress the balance, this article explores women’s experience of environmental justice through a review of the existing literature and the author’s prior qualitative research, as well as her experience of environmental activism. The analysis confirms that women tend to experience inequitable environmental burdens (distributional injustice); and are less likely than men to have control over environmental decisions (procedural injustice), both of which impact on their health (substantive injustice). It is argued that these injustices occur because women generally have lower incomes than men and are perceived as having less social status than their male counterparts as a result of entwined and entrenched capitalist and patriarchal processes. In the light of this analysis, it is proposed that environmental justice research, teaching, policy and practice should be made more gender aware and feminist orientated. This could support cross-cutting debates and activities in support of the radical social change necessary to bring about greater social and environmental justice more generally.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Bell, Dr Karen
Authors: Bell, K.
College/School:College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Urban Studies
Journal Name:International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Publisher:MDPI
ISSN:1661-7827
ISSN (Online):1660-4601
Published Online:12 October 2016
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2016 The Author
First Published:First published in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 13(10): 1005
Publisher Policy:Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

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