World Environment Dayon 5 June is the biggest international day for the environment. Led by UNEP and held annually since 1973, the event has grown to be the largest global platform for environmental outreach, with millions of people from across the world engaging to protect the planet. This year, World Environment Day joins the UNEP-led #BeatPlasticPollution campaign to end plastic pollution.  

While the burden falls heaviest on the poor and most vulnerable, almost no one is immune from pollution. Some 99 per cent of people, for example, breathe unclean air. Pollution is the most common environment-related cause of death and illness, with countless people around the world exposed to pathogen-laced water and soil and a range of potentially toxic chemicals.

“Vulnerable communities disproportionately bear the brunt of environmental degradation caused by plastics pollution, and action is urgently needed to address the issue and restore access to human rights, health and well-being,” the UN’s Environment Programme says.

Although plastic pollution is a global issue, it is those in disadvantaged communities who suffer from it the most. Some of the main reasons are that vulnerable communities are often uneducated on proper waste management; located near landfills or plastic treatment centres; and plastic waste is often imported from abroad and causing the plastic to leak into communities. One of these communities disproportionately affected by plastic waste is women.

Plastic waste not only endangers the livelihoods of those relying on marine resources, it also causes a raft of health issues for people who consume seafood infested with toxic micro and nano plastics.

Women suffer from plastic-related toxicity risk, due to higher aggregate exposure to plastics at home and even in feminine care products.

 

Plastic Pollution as a gender Issue:

In rural communities across the world, including in Sub Sahara Africa, gender roles continue to be more traditional. Women are the housemakers while men go out and earn an income. While there is nothing inherently wrong with these roles, it also means that women are more exposed to plastics surrounding household cleaners and other items.

 

Figure 1  Soroptimists and Communities Leading the Way to Clean up drainages of plastic Waste in Kenya

Furthermore, cosmetics and female hygiene products often contain large amounts of plastic, further exposing women to harmful chemicals found in certain types of plastic. While many high-income countries have regulations to prevent these types of plastics entering households, middle- and low-income countries don’t have such regulations.

Women are often exposed to unsafe working conditions dur to gender roles. While Men often get paid positions in recycling centres and plants where they receive health care, training, and personal protective equipment. Women cannot get these positions because these types of jobs are viewed as dangerous and therefore unfit for women. This leaves many women to participate in the informal sector as waste pickers. As waste pickers, women rarely receive access to health care, training, or personal protective equipment, creating a much more dangerous environment than their male counterparts experience.

Differences in gender, social roles, and political power in regulating plastic use and health standards place women at high risk of miscarriages and cancer, further exacerbating gender-related disparities overall.

 

Women Leading the Way to tackling Plastic Pollution

Women in particular play a critical role across the plastic and water value chains – as gatekeepers of household consumption who purchase products packaged in plastic, and collectively spend 200 million work hours in just one day collecting water for their families. Further down the system, women engage in an informal capacity as collectors of plastic waste. In fact, the bulk of informal workers within the plastic value chain are women – in Ghana alone, 99% of those washing and sorting plastic waste are women

Here’s how plastic pollution affects women and how you and your company can help combat this exponentially growing issue.

The impacts of plastics on marginalized populations are severe, and exist at all stages of the production cycle, from extracting raw materials and manufacturing, through to consumption and disposal,” the UNEP notes based on findings detailed in a new report.

“Plastic waste not only endangers the livelihoods of those relying on marine resources, it also causes a raft of health issues for people who consume seafood infested with toxic micro and nano plastics. Women suffer from plastic-related toxicity risk, due to higher aggregate exposure to plastics at home and even in feminine care products,” the UN agency elucidates.

These insights should come as no surprise. Economically disadvantaged people tend to live in communities with higher rates of pollution from air and water pollution to plastics pollution.

Women are working at the very heart of plastic waste management, and the informal economy is driving this – the value that women bring to addressing plastic pollution is undeniable.

#CommunitiesLeadingTheWay

#HealthierPeople #HealtheirPlanet

#BeatPlasticPolution #WED2025

 

The Soroptimist International Africa Federation (SIAF) has officially launched an ambitious environmental restoration initiative that promises to transform landscapes across the continent. The “Greening Our Horizons: Soroptimists Leading the Way” project kicked off with its first tree-planting activation at Kabete Rehabilitation School on Saturday, May 24, 2025.

A Promise to Africa’s Future

“Today, we take root—literally and symbolically,” declared Mary Muia, President of SIAF, during the launch event. “This is not just a project—it is a promise. A promise to our children that they will inherit more than we found. A promise to our land that we will restore what has been stripped. And a promise to ourselves that we will lead with bold care and lasting vision.”
The initiative aims to plant 500,000 trees, fruits, and vegetables across Africa by 2027, beginning with 3,000 seedlings at the Kabete Rehabilitation School. This location was specifically chosen to benefit children in vulnerable situations, allowing them to grow up surrounded by life rather than concrete and pollution.

Women-Led Environmental Action

Soroptimist International, a global network of women volunteers working to transform the lives of women and girls, has made environmental sustainability a core focus area. Through its network of approximately 75,000 club members across 121 countries, the organization works at local, national, and international levels to educate, empower, and enable opportunities for women and girls.
“We are women of action,” emphasized Jesca Oredo, President of Soroptimist International Union of Kenya (SIUK). “Through our programmatic work across the country, we are committed to protecting and restoring the environment—and there is no better symbol of that commitment than the act of planting a tree.”
The project is backed by all 14 SI clubs in Kenya and supported by the Union, demonstrating the collective power of women-led environmental initiatives.

Legal Framework and Community Empowerment

The SIAF has developed a legally aligned, women-led strategy that includes:
1.Legal Mapping and Community Group Recognition: Formally registering women-led and elder-led groups as Community Forest Associations (CFAs), giving them legal authority to co-manage forests and nurseries.
2.Policy-Aligned Project Design and Budgeting: Integrating the initiative into County Climate Change Action Plans (CCCAPs), making projects eligible for climate finance and partnerships under Kenya’s National Climate Change Fund.
3.Legal Compliance-Based Impact Tracking: Establishing a transparent monitoring framework aligned with environmental audit guidelines to report on tree cover, soil health, and biodiversity.
“Let us remember: the law is not a barrier—it is a pathway,” Muia noted.

Why Trees Matter

One mature tree absorbs approximately 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year—a life-saving fact in our current climate crisis. The 100,000 trees planned for institutional forests at Kabete and Kirigiti Children’s Rehabilitation Centres will clean the air, cool cities, protect biodiversity, reduce flooding, and offer fruit, shade, and dignity to the children and communities that nurture them.
“We’re not just planting trees,” explained a Soroptimist representative. “We’re planting resilience, dignity, and opportunity.”

Join Us: Do Your Part

The Kabete Tree-Planting Activation is just the beginning of this transformative journey. Here’s how you can participate:
Attend the Event: Join us at Kabete Rehabilitation School, Lower Kabete, on Saturday, May 24, 2025, starting at 9:00 AM.
Donate: Can’t attend but want to contribute? Pledge KSh500 for a seedling through Paybill No.: 522522, Account No.: 1264574347, or contact nairobicentral@soroptimist.org.
Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your networks and encourage others to join the movement.
“As you plant your seedling, pause and reflect: What future do you want to grow?” asks Muia. “Let us plant generously. Let us grow boldly. Let us lead the way.”
For more information or inquiries, please contact nairobicentral@soroptimist.org.

The Soroptimist International (SI) Cameroon Annual General Meeting and Conference convened on Saturday, February 22, 2025, at the residence of Best Sister Bernice Mengot in Yaoundé. Under the theme “Together for a Better Future,” the event gathered 102 participants, including members and observers from clubs undergoing training.x

Intentionally laid out in Soroptimist colors, the venue set a perfect setting for the AGM, which was also enhanced with well-tailored conference materials. The event commenced at 8:00 AM with participant registration, followed by opening notes and introductions. Official ceremonies included the Soroptimist Pledge, Object & Symphony Song, and the symbolic lighting of SI Candles. New members; seven in number were formally inducted into the organization. BS Yaah Gladys Shang Viban was installed as the new president of SI Club Yaoundé, followed by a change of insignia ceremony where she received an insignia placed on her neck by BS Bernice Mengot and a candle handed to her by BS Martha. In her acceptance speech, BS Yaah Gladys Shang Viban announced her main project focus: creating safe spaces for women to express themselves without fear of judgment. 

“As a young woman leader, what can one do to be respected and recognized? Given we have men who do less in the same industry, but are recognized.”

Senator Francoise advised that, women should believe in themselves and walk into those rooms with confidence. The Ambiance The program then unfolded with a Valentine’s link activity which was organized, involving random selection among Best Sisters to promote bonding and gift exchange, reinforcing the spirit of solidarity within the organization. Various performances enhanced the meeting, amongst which: Live music performances, Fashion parade, Dancers, Spoken word poetry and Artistic exhibition. The event concluded with the formulation of resolutions for 2025, followed by an evening dinner that transitioned into celebrations and dancing, marking a joyous end to the successful AGM.