Gender Mainstreaming: integrating gender in chemicals and waste management is key to such management being just and effective; recognizing gender aspects includes taking into account biological and social differences as well as realizing the transformational potential of gender responsiveness. Multi-stakeholder engagement and collaboration is needed across the board to achieve the SDGs; it does not replace governmental and stakeholder responsibilities but it can strengthen and improve chemicals management, pooling expertise and ressources, fostering innovation, building stronger political will.

Elena Jardan is working at WHO in the Chemicals safety and health unit, responsible for lead-related projects. She is a medical doctor in preventive toxicology with advanced degrees in hygiene and public health. She has developed materials to support government decision-making, e.g. on chemicals regulation (including health and economic impacts), workers’ health, environmental health and implementation of international agreements. She has organized several International Lead Poisoning Prevention Week campaigns.

How does your work on chemicals contribute to a healthier environment?I facilitate the role of the private sector engagement in meeting the SAICM objectives toward the sound management of chemicals and waste. My role involves the coordination of the joint projects of UNEP with the chemical industry partner (International Council of Chemical Associations) in several countries including China, India, Tanzania and Argentina on topics such as United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, circular economy, knowledge and information sharing and plastic waste. Part of my responsibility includes the development of a reporting framework to measure the contributions of the chemicals sector to

I have a PhD in Physics and more than 30 years of experience in research and project management in academic and not-for-profit environment, and a strong experience in consulting on environmental health issues. I work with diverse group of stakeholders and individuals on strategic planning and organizational design to strengthen their participation in decision making on chemical safety and environmental health. I organized and manage efficiently information, data, and contract compliance for more than 70 projects in developing countries and countries with economies in transition working on a variety of issues related to sound chemicals and waste management and associated

We work with partners in 12 countries and provide capacity building to communities to do community monitoring of pesticides on human health and the environment. With such information communities then decide on pesticide reduction and move towards agroecology.We organise learning exchanges on agroecology at the national and regional levels and support capacity building agreocolgical practices.We share and distribute scientific and policy information for example, the publication, "Replacing Chemicals with Biology" and a list of countries and banned pesticides.We organise awareness campaigns, for example, Protect Our Children from Toxic pesticides and No Pesticide Use Week