EU-OSHA calls on protecting women from work-related cancer on International Women’s Day

Worldwide, millions of people mark International Women’s Day on March 8. The day provides an important opportunity to promote women’s equality, while also celebrating their achievements.

This year, EU-OSHA highlights gender inequalities at the workplace, focusing on women’s occupational cancer risks. Women often work in service sectors where they can be exposed, such as cleaning and health care, and which are yet under-represented in the research studies. Within one sector, they may do different tasks than men and their exposure may go unseen. Their bodies may also react differently to exposures than those of their male colleagues.

On 7 – 8 March, at the French EU Presidency conference Acting on occupational cancers: for more effective prevention, EU-OSHA will contribute to an expert discussion on occupational cancer risk in women and combined exposures. The aim of this conference is to raise awareness of the risks resulting from exposure to carcinogenic substances particularly in SMEs and to allow an exchange of good practices between experts, prevention professionals and social partners. It is held as part of the Roadmap on Carcinogens initiative and also links up to Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.

Check out our web sections on work-related cancer and women and OSH

Watch the video Cancer in Women