Applying a data-driven gender lens to air pollution policies in the ASEAN region

The report highlights how gender and intersectional dimensions are rarely integrated into air pollution policy in the ASEAN region due to a lack of disaggregated data. It argues that gender influences exposure patterns—with women often facing higher household pollution and men facing higher occupational exposure—and calls for a 'data revolution' to identify vulnerable groups and design targeted mitigation measures.

• Gender and intersectional dimensions are seldom used to inform the design and implementation of air pollution policies, which often results in unequal outcomes for different population groups due to a lack of disaggregated data.
• Air pollution exposure is gendered: women and girls typically experience higher exposure to household air pollution due to traditional domestic roles, while men often face higher total air pollution burdens and more years of life lost due to occupational exposures in sectors like traffic or energy.
• Existing research on air pollution in Southeast Asia is often limited by a medical perspective that overlooks lived experiences, a focus on the formal employment sector, and gender stereotypes that assume women's exposure is limited to the home.
• In Viet Nam's handicraft villages, gender norms create distinct exposure patterns: men often perform more hazardous tasks and earn higher wages, while women are more frequently confined to indoor production facilities, increasing their exposure to concentrated indoor air pollution.
• Current air pollution modelling, such as the GAINS model used in the ASEAN region, typically assumes uniform ambient PM2.5 exposure for all individuals and does not yet quantify the health impacts of household air pollution, which predominantly affects women and children.
• To improve policy effectiveness, the report recommends that National Statistical Offices incorporate disaggregated categories and that researchers use an intersectional lens covering sex, age, ethnicity, and migrant status to avoid perpetuating inequalities.

APA

Archer, D., Sinswat, W., Slater, J., & Bannister, T. (2023). Applying a data-driven gender lens to air pollution policies in the ASEAN region. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/gender-air-pollution-asean-sei2023.032.pdf

Chicago

Archer, Diane, Wilatluk Sinswat, Jessica Slater, and Thomas Bannister. Applying a data-driven gender lens to air pollution policies in the ASEAN region. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2023. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/gender-air-pollution-asean-sei2023.032.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Archer |first1=Diane |last2=Sinswat |first2=Wilatluk |last3=Slater |first3=Jessica |last4=Bannister |first4=Thomas |title=Applying a data-driven gender lens to air pollution policies in the ASEAN region |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=May 2023 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/gender-air-pollution-asean-sei2023.032.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{archer2023applying, author = {Archer, Diane and Sinswat, Wilatluk and Slater, Jessica and Bannister, Thomas}, title = {{Applying a data-driven gender lens to air pollution policies in the ASEAN region}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2023}, month = may, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/gender-air-pollution-asean-sei2023.032.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }