Occupational health 2012, para. 48

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Paragraph text: In many respects, women are particularly vulnerable to negative health impacts resulting from conditions of work. The majority of women who work are employed in the informal sector, particularly in the lowest paid, lowest skilled jobs, where they are more likely to be exposed to hazardous working conditions. Women are on average paid less than men for the same work, and are more likely to experience violence and harassment in the workplace. Further, many occupational exposures are hazardous to reproductive organs, having serious implications for the sexual and reproductive health of female workers. For example, women of childbearing age, as well as pregnant women working in agriculture, are exposed to highly hazardous pesticides that risk not only their health but also the health of their children. Children born with congenital disorders due to in utero exposure to toxic chemicals endure disabilities for life. These problems are compounded by the fact that work-related diseases affecting women are often underdiagnosed and undercompensated as compared to men.

Body: Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health

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Person(s) affected