Janice Melanson

BCAM was represented at a roundtable discussion entitled “It’s Enough to Make You Sick: Women, Toxins and Our Environment,” hosted by the Canadian Women's Health Network in Ottawa in February. Short presentations were made by women involved with CWHN summarizing efforts made in the following areas:

• Mental health of health care workers
• Canada’s Chemicals Management Plan: Issues for women
• Gender-bending and Environmental Justice: Lessons from the Aamjiwnaang First Nation
• Indigenous women and water
• Women and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
• Mapping the impact of boil water advisories

Following the presentations, break-out groups formed based on areas of interest. The topics relevant to BCAM – Canada’s Chemicals Management Plan and Gender-bending and Environmental Justice were combined, since both concerned toxic chemicals. Contributing to the conversation were representatives from government, industry, labour and the not-for-profit sector.

It appears that Canada’s lengthy and somewhat taxing plan for chemicals management is being well monitored and appreciatively critiqued by non-governmental organizations. What seems to be missing, in order to instigate effective policy change covering the use of potentially harmful chemicals in Canadian homes/products/the environment, is a targeted plan to engage the general public.

BCAM will continue its efforts to keep up-to-date on these issues with the goal of both raising awareness and creating action plans that will help to eliminate the use of chemicals linked to breast cancer.