By Bunmi Yekini
Plastic pollution is posing a growing threat to human health and the environment, with women and girls facing disproportionate risks while also leading community efforts to tackle the crisis, environmental activists said during an International Women’s Day webinar hosted by GAIA/BFFP Africa.
Plastics, which are produced from chemical-based materials, can contain complex mixtures of hazardous substances. Current evidence suggests plastics may contain more than 16,000 chemicals, at least 4,200 of which are considered highly hazardous, according to research cited during the discussion.
The March 9 webinar brought together environmental advocates and researchers who highlighted emerging scientific evidence showing microplastics have been detected in human lungs, placental tissue, breast milk, blood and even blood clots in the heart, brain and legs.
Speakers said the health and social impacts of plastic pollution often fall more heavily on women due to their roles in household consumption, caregiving and waste management systems, particularly in the informal recycling sector.
“The health impacts of plastics on women’s bodies are a form of slow violence; it is a slow violence in the development of cancer, it’s a slow violence of women not being believed about their symptoms, especially when it comes to sexual and reproductive health,” said Azeeza Rangunwala, Africa coordinator of the Global Green Healthy Hospitals programme at groundWork South Africa.
Across Africa and globally, women are playing a key role in grassroots initiatives promoting zero-waste systems, including community waste collection, reuse programmes and sustainable resource management strategies, participants said.
Semia Gharbi, founder and chair of the Association of Environmental Education for Future Generations and winner of the 2025 Goldman Environmental Prize, warned that everyday consumer products may also expose women to harmful chemicals.
“The average woman uses nine personal care products a day, containing more than 100 unique ingredients, including some that are linked to cancer and reproductive harm. If you don’t know the ingredients, don’t buy the products,” she said.
Activists also called for stronger global action as countries continue negotiations toward a legally binding treaty on plastic pollution.
“A Global Plastics Treaty that is not gender-responsive will not be effective, and a treaty that is not rights-based will not be just,” said Dalia Márquez, co-coordinator of the United Nations Environment Programme Women’s Major Group.
Women working in waste management systems also highlighted the economic and social challenges they face. Boniswa Phelani of the South Africa Waste Pickers Association said women make up the majority of informal waste pickers but remain among the most marginalised.
“Before going out to collect, sort and sell the waste, we have to ensure our children are prepared for school,” she said. “We do this work so that our children and society as a whole have a better life.”
Tening Cissé, partnerships manager at adansonia.green, said menstrual products were another source of plastic waste, noting that a person who menstruates may use between 8,000 and 15,000 products in their lifetime, generating around 180 kilograms of waste.
Environmental groups said women’s leadership would be essential in shaping solutions as negotiations toward a global plastics treaty continue.
GAIA/BFFP Africa said it would continue advocating for policies that reduce plastic pollution while supporting community-led approaches that place women at the centre of environmental action.