A-Infos (en) France, OCL CA #353 - Gender Inequalities in Occupational Health (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

In France, in 2020, the proportion of women in the workforce increased 
to 50%. But while their jobs differ greatly from those of men in terms 
of sector, profession, and status, occupational health is often viewed 
solely through a male lens. While both men and women face deteriorating 
working conditions and increased exposure to toxic substances, the risks 
specifically faced by women at work are not addressed, and the resulting 
occupational illnesses are not recognized.

The organization of workplace accident monitoring and occupational risk 
prevention has been largely dismantled in recent years: greater access 
to preventive care, the transfer of occupational medicine to employers, 
and the disappearance of the CHSCT (Health, Safety, and Working 
Conditions Committee). Furthermore, the scarce gender-disaggregated data 
(for example, from the National Health Insurance Fund) are not used, and 
sectors with a larger female workforce, or where jobs are held by women, 
are rarely the subject of specific research and studies on women's 
health at work[1].

Women very often work in services-medical and social work, social work, 
healthcare, accommodation, teaching, and cleaning. The jobs they perform 
are traditionally considered to be easy, safe, and without major health 
consequences. Cleaning train toilets or hotel rooms for a few hours a 
day doesn't count! Many women are thus forgotten by the world of work, 
rendered invisible! Their working hours are often part-time, with 
atypical schedules. And yet, since more women than men work night 
shifts, they are more exposed to cancer and various adverse health 
effects: sleep disorders, decreased cognitive performance, obesity, 
heart disease, and difficulties balancing work and family life. Finally, 
women's wages are generally lower than those of men-by 22% in 2019.

More work accidents
for women than for men in certain sectors
We are seeing an increase in work accidents among female employees in 
all sectors, primarily in healthcare, social work, and cleaning. In 
female-dominated sectors, there has been a decrease in work accidents 
among men (-13%) and an increase among women (+110%). The severity of 
accidents among women results in longer periods of sick leave on average 
than among men. Musculoskeletal disorders are more common among women 
than among men (+88%), particularly in cleaning services, but also in 
the food and agricultural industries. Workstations and workspaces are 
often designed by men and for a man of average height, making them 
unsuitable for the female body. Similarly, personal protective equipment 
(such as gloves or respiratory protection) is oversized for women, 
increasing their risk of pain, musculoskeletal disorders, and workplace 
accidents[2].

Occupational diseases
more recognized for men than for women
When an occupational disease is "recognized" for women, it is not 
included in the "official table of occupational diseases," as this was 
established based on sectors such as chemicals or construction, and not 
the healthcare or cleaning sectors. There is no table of occupational 
diseases for work-related psychological distress. In 2023, the most 
frequently reported illnesses were depression, anxiety, burnout, and 
sleep disorders. Similarly, gender-based and sexual violence in the 
workplace is more common, whether verbal or psychological.

Women can be exposed to carcinogenic substances in their work. Seven are 
found in cleaning products (such as silica-based surface disinfectants 
or strong acid mists), and cleaning brushes stir up dust in premises 
containing asbestos. These substances frequently cause blood cancers, 
which are not classified as occupational diseases.

Furthermore, the national lung cancer surveillance plan, which took 
asbestos exposure into account in 2016, excluded women, even though this 
type of cancer has increased by 50% among them. Indeed, since the 
sources of contamination for women are mainly non-occupational 
(particularly domestic, with the washing of the work clothes of a spouse 
exposed to asbestos) or environmental, the cancers that may result are 
not recognized as occupational diseases. The same is true for 
pesticides: farmers who use them to treat vineyards may have 
"recognized" cancers, meaning they may be entitled to compensation, but 
this system does not apply to their spouses, who are indirectly exposed 
to these pesticides.

Several studies have highlighted a higher risk of breast cancer for 
female workers in sectors such as electrical manufacturing, the rubber 
and plastics industry, agriculture, the food industry, and cosmetics. 
This risk is also increased by night work (between midnight and 5 a.m.), 
according to these studies. In 2023, for the first time in France, a 
nurse had her breast cancer recognized as an occupational disease 
related to 28 years of night work.
Finally, the consideration of women's sexual and reproductive health 
(such as "menstrual leave") still needs to be improved. Pregnancy is 
still a source of discrimination-derogatory remarks, hostile attitudes 
from management that lead to refusal of hiring or even dismissal under 
false pretenses.

Differentiating is not discriminating.
Taking into account the existing differences between women and men in 
occupational health should help advance prevention for all[3]. This, it 
seems, is not a given. Since 2014, the French Labor Code has provided 
for a gender-based approach to occupational health, but this approach is 
perceived by women as discriminatory, a source of inequality and 
stigmatization. Isn't it rather work and the conditions in which it is 
performed that should be questioned... and challenged?

Maryse V

OCL poster from 2001!
Notes
[1]"Women and Men, Equality in Question," Insee Références, 2022 
edition, or Cohen L. et al., "Information Report on Behalf of the 
Delegation for Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities between Men and 
Women on Women's Health at Work," Senate, No. 780, June 27, 2023

[2]"Women and Men, Equality in Question," Insee Références, 2022 edition

[3]"Work: Women's Health Struggling," Prescrire Review No. 496, February 
2025

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