Kigali, Rwanda — With the support of the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), the Association Rwandaise des Ecologistes (ARECO–RWANDA NZIZA) has launched a public awareness campaign to highlight the often-overlooked dangers posed by endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), commonly found in plastics and everyday consumer products. The awareness focuses on how chemicals such as phthalates and bisphenols, including BPA, disproportionately affect women and girls across Rwanda.
This campaign aligns with scientific evidence from the World Health Organization (WHO), which warns that EDCs “pose a global threat that needs to be addressed,” noting links to infertility, certain cancers, impaired fetal development, and metabolic disorders. WHO reports that exposure is widespread and growing due to the increasing use of plastics and chemical additives in consumer products. EDCs interfere with the body’s natural hormones even at very low doses.
Research from the WHO and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) shows that chemicals such as phthalates and bisphenols are present in food packaging, baby bottles, cosmetics, cleaning agents, and plastics used in homes, workplaces, and schools. UNEP highlights that these chemicals have been detected “in nearly all human samples tested worldwide,” demonstrating widespread exposure across populations.
Currently, there is no way for consumers to know whether a plastic product contains phthalates, BPA, or other toxic substances, due to a lack of transparency and labeling requirements. Women face heightened vulnerabilities due to both biological and social factors. WHO indicates that women’s bodies are more sensitive to hormonal disruption during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and puberty. Products commonly marketed to women, such as cosmetics, fragrances, nail polish, hair care products, and some cleaning agents, often contain EDCs. Pregnant women and developing fetuses face particularly high risks.
WHO’s expert assessments conclude that prenatal exposure to EDCs can increase the likelihood of low birth weight, developmental delays, neurobehavioral disorders, and lifelong reproductive challenges. Although the dangers of phthalates and BPA have been documented for decades, there are still no comprehensive global restrictions. This shows that communities remain exposed daily.
Through this campaign, ARECO–RWANDA NZIZA hopes to reach large public communities in Rwanda and beyond, and hopes to build long-term momentum for safer products and stronger chemical prevention across Rwanda, emphasizing that women deserve to live free from invisible chemical threats. Experts, including the WHO and IPEN, stress that reducing chemical exposure is one of the most effective ways to safeguard women’s reproductive health and improve public health outcomes for future generations.
